Dutch silver 'Four Seasons' tobacco box, circa 1900
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1900
This rectangular Dutch tobacco box, crafted from silver around 1900, is a highly decorative and mechanically sophisticated example of its type. Measuring 12.5cm in length and weighing 9.2 troy ounces, the box features intricate exterior engraving of scrolling foliage.
The design is notable for its interactive elements, including a sliding panel on the hinged cover that, when opened, reveals a night-time landscape set against a fabric 'sky' material. The underside of the cover is further adorned with engravings of birds and scrolls, alongside two additional hinged compartments that conceal further night-time landscape scenes. The base of the box also incorporates a sliding panel that reveals a landscape similar to those found under the cover.
The box is marked in several locations and demonstrates a high quality of silversmithing and mechanical construction, with all sliding and hinged components described as being in good working order.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Length
- 12.5cm
- Weight
- 9.2 troy ounces
- Material
- silver
Technical characteristics
- Mechanism
- sliding panels, hinged cover, additional internal hinged covers
Design
- Ornamentation
- engraved scrolling foliage, night-time landscapes with fabric sky, engraved birds and scrolls
Identification
- Source note
- Described from a single auction-house listing published on Invaluable (reproduced with Invaluable's permission). Details apply to that one example; other examples of the type may differ, and the listing is supplementary evidence, not authentication.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.