Copper and brass snuff box. [Dutch Republic], 1761. Inscribed "J D J / 1761" to brass. Approx. 4 7/8 x 2 1/4 x 1 3/4 in. 

Provenance: Osborne Marquis, LTD. 1983 appraisal.

Intricate engravings decorate each of this box's six faces; to its lid, a seated saddle maker with rolled sleeves rears a hammer, while to its opposite face, another craftsman fashions what is perhaps the body of a carriage in the company of an onlooker and a passerby. The three men in the latter depiction dress alike and bear tricorn hats, with the presence of a bedroll slung over the leftmost man's shoulder indicating that they may be soldiers. Two of the remaining faces are marked with foliates and inscribed "J G J" and "1761" respectively, with the date inverted. The others are each engraved with a flower.

There is some light verdigris, especially to the interior, and damage to one knuckle, else a very fine example.

The inscription dates this box to the Dutch Republic under teenaged William V's regency. Despite the possible military symbolism as described in the engravings, this marked a period of peacetime for the Republic.

[Relics, Ephemera] [Art, Fine Art, 18th Century]