• Width:
  2 3/4" Inches
• Height:
  1/2" Inches
• Depth:
  1 5/8" Inches
• Period:
  19th Century
• Origin:
  Switzerland

This enchanting Swiss snuff box is crafted of 18K yellow gold with the utmost artistry. Adorned with an intricately engraved design on every surface, this stunning container features an exceptional enameled scene of a lady and gentleman on horseback. Snuff boxes, also known as "tabatiéres", have become some of the most desirable collectibles in recent years. The taking of snuff was a highly regarded social ritual among the European elite. Snuff box manufacturers were regarded as artists, creating and designing these elegant little boxes using fine metals, gems and other luxurious materials. They were among a gentleman's most expensive and elegant personal effects, and soon became collector's items. Wealthy and fashionable men would have a fair number of them and often offered them as gifts.

Bears Swiss marks, circa 1835

2 3/4" wide x 1 5/8" deep x 1/2" high 

 Circa 1890 

 20 ¼" high 

 Art Nouveau, an avant-garde style that emerged in the early 1890s, received widespread popularity almost simultaneously in Britain, France, Germany, Austria, Denmark, and America. The movement celebrated natural beauty with fluid lines, asymmetrical decorations and exotic subject matter. This outstanding figure combines all of these hallmarks to form a work that is at once vibrant and elegant.