1848 Zachary Taylor papier-mache presidential campaign snuff box

This 1848 Zachary Taylor presidential campaign snuff box is an example of early American political merchandising. The piece measures 3.25 inches in diameter and is constructed from papier-mache, a popular material for decorative boxes during the first half of the nineteenth century.

It features a jet-black lacquered exterior rim, providing a sharp contrast to the lid's face. The lid is decorated with a detailed black-ink, engraved-style portrait of General Zachary Taylor in a right-facing profile, set against a warm, burnished gold ground that shows light age-related crazing. The portrait depicts the subject in a double-breasted civilian coat. The lid is inscribed with political slogans: "Old Rough and Ready" to the left, "The Hero of the War with Mexico" to the right, and "Genl.

Zachs. Taylor" within a cartouche banner at the base. A small, indistinct maker's initial mark is present at the base of the portrait. The two-part construction remains tight and intact, displaying significant craftsmanship consistent with its mid-19th-century origin as a Whig Party campaign item.