German Meissen-style enamel snuff box
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
mid-18th century
This German Meissen-style snuff box is an enamel container dating to the mid-18th century. The piece features a shaped body with a hinged lid, constructed with white metal mounts.
Its exterior is extensively decorated with hand-painted scenes, including figures unloading goods from ships at a port depicted on the cover, with similar port scenes featured within quatrefoil panels around the body. The surface is further embellished with gilt diaper borders, and an additional painted scene is present on the base of the box. Measuring 7.7 cm in diameter and 3.5 cm in height, this snuff box exemplifies the intricate enamelling styles of the period, drawing stylistic inspiration from Meissen porcelain traditions.
The combination of delicate figural narratives within framed panels and the detailed metal mounting showcases the sophisticated craftsmanship typical of 18th-century personal accessories of this nature.
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
- Height
- 3.5cm
- Diameter
- 7.7cm
- Material
- enamel, white metal
Design
- Lid
- figures unloading goods from ships
- Base
- painted scene
- Body
- quatrefoil panels with port scenes, gilt diaper borders
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.