Louis XV Mother-of-Pearl Snuffbox

This Louis XV-period gold-mounted snuff box features lustrous panels of inlaid mother-of-pearl. The whimsical box takes the form of a barrel and features hinged lids on both ends. Diminutive works of intricate artistry, snuff boxes were once considered the height of fashionable luxury in the 18th- and 19th centuries. Designed to be small enough to fit in a gentleman’s waistcoat, these ornamented boxes were used to hold snuff, a popular scented tobacco. The most elegant were made using the finest materials, including gold, porcelain, tortoiseshell, enamels and mother-of-pearl — like the present objet d'art. These symbols of status were counted among the most expensive and elegant personal effects, and soon became collector's items.

The luxurious snuff box was once owned by Lord Weinstock, an influential industrialist and businessman among the 20th-century British elite, and his wife Lady Weinstock.

Marked Paris, with charge and recharge of Louis Robin (1738-1744)

Provenance:
Sale of S.J. Phillips, London, 30 June 1972.
Collection of Lord and Lady Weinstock

2" high by 1 1/2" diameter