Antique Hand-Painted Romantic Landscape Snuff Box | Round Black Lacquer over Wood or Leather

A charming and tactile piece of social history, this small, round antique box is an excellent example of a personal snuff box (or a gentleman’s pill/patch box), dating from the late Georgian or early Victorian era (c. 1780-1850). This piece was carried as a sophisticated, practical accessory.

The box is constructed on a substrate of wood or papier-mâché, featuring a robust, seamless finish. The exterior is covered in a deep, black color, suggesting either a classic black lacquer (Japanned finish) or possibly hardened, black-stained leather stretched over the form. The highly-aged material has developed an authentic, deep crackle (crazing) across the surface, confirming its considerable age.

The slip-lid is adorned with a beautifully rendered miniature hand-painted landscape scene. The artwork depicts an atmospheric, moody view of a rustic tower or castle nestled on a hillside beneath a dramatic sky, characteristic of the Romantic era's appreciation for dramatic, natural, and slightly Gothic settings. Both the lid and body are embellished with decorative borders in a textured gold-tone paint.

This box is in authentic antique condition, displaying the sought-after wear of a cherished, pocket-sized object. The lid fits snugly, as required for a snuff box to keep the contents fresh. The painting exhibits craquelure and bubbling (see listing photos) common with antique oil painting.

A perfect display piece for a collector of tobacciana, small painted miniatures, or a distinctive addition to a desk or curio cabinet.

Measurements (approximate - rounded to the nearest quarter inch):

3.25 inches in diameter
1.25 inches in height

All sales are final so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with any questions prior to purchase.

VINTAGE & ANTIQUE
Vintage and antique items are pre-owned and aged goods. In most cases, we do not clean or polish any items that come into our shop. Once you remove an item's traces of age and patina it's not something you can reverse, so we leave those activities up to the buyer. We try our best to describe items accurately and disclose any and all flaws and imperfections. Please refer to pictures as a visual description. We want to make sure you are happy with your purchase so, please do not hesitate to ask any questions you may have prior to checkout.

SHIPPING
As much as possible, we utilize recycled shipping boxes. The box you receive your item in may show signs of wear and pre-use.

PHOTOGRAPHY
All photos are taken in natural light and we do not use any photo filters and do not perform and photo editing (other than basic photo cropping). Depending on your monitor settings, there may be subtle differences in color once you see your item in person.