English oval enamel-on-copper snuff box, 18th century
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
second half of the 18th century
This English snuff box is crafted from enamel-on-copper in an oval form, characteristic of pieces originating from South Staffordshire or Bilston during the second half of the 18th century.
The hinged cover is adorned with a detailed hand-painted scene featuring two young boys at play, with one child mounted on the back of another while holding a whip, set against a backdrop of a rural landscape with a cottage. The interior of the cover features an additional painted depiction of a boy running with a kite. The white enamel body is further decorated with molded and gilt foliate motifs. The box is finished with gilt-metal rims and a functional hinge.
The piece measures approximately 1 1/4 by 3 by 1 1/2 inches (3 x 7.5 x 4 cm).
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
- Material
- enamel, copper, gilt-metal
- Dimensions
- 1 1/4 x 3 x 1 1/2 in. (3 x 7.5 x 4 cm)
Design
- Body decoration
- molded and gilt foliate motifs
- Cover decoration
- hand-painted scene of two boys at play in a landscape
- Underside decoration
- hand-painted scene of a boy with a kite
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.
- Maker named in listing
- South Staffordshire or Bilston
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.