Posted 15 years ago
Trenchartman
(32 items)
Here is an old snuff box with a gold band around the edge and a portrait in the center of the lid. I purchased this at a local estate auction over the weekend and was glad to win it. It has some damage to the base but is not noticeable just sitting around. Not sure if the piece is made of Bakelite or other material. Over all just a nice piece.
Hi from Sydney Australia!
Nice snuff box. The portrait looks familiar: King George IV was 48 when he became Regent in 1811, as a result of the illness of his father, George III. he was a famous collector and patron of the arts.
Is it made out of tortoiseshell?
I believe vetraio50 is right, about the portrait and the material. Alternately, there was an early composite material called bois durci, which was composed of pressure molded beef blood and fine sawdust and which appears like a very dark brown bakelite, and can take very finely molded detail, which sometimes even looks like engine turning. The smooth surface suggests tortoiseshell or horn though, both typical materials used for snuffs. It COULD be a later box with an old portrait mounted on its lid, but it looks right to me, probably c 1810-20.