Stobwasser lacquer snuff box with tarot scene, 1808

This large, round snuff box is an exquisite example of Stobwasser lacquerware, crafted in Braunschweig, Germany. It features highly detailed, fine lacquer painting on its surface, depicting a domestic interior scene from the early 19th century.

The composition shows three men seated at a table playing a game of tarot, while a woman holding a child looks on with an exasperated expression. The scene is marked with the inscribed text 'Sciss, Monque, Pagat'—referencing traditional tarot cards—and the German phrase 'Nein, es ist nicht auszuhalten mit Euch' ('No, it’s unbearable with you lot'). Commissioned in 1808 for the Foerster family of Nuremberg, the box serves as both a functional tobacco accessory and a narrative piece, reflecting the social life and artistic standards of its time.

Measuring 6 cm in height and 13.5 cm in diameter, the piece displays characteristic signs of age typical of authentic early 19th-century lacquerware objects produced by the renowned Stobwasser manufactory.