chinese tobacco cannister any ideas on the mark?

6" high 7" wide, from estate sale.

 

Final picture top mark I can only make out the middle two 南 海, mark on lower right 申占

Pic four I can only make out 福 in the main mark and 点 on the lower right. It's not going to help a lot unfortunately. I don't think they are reign marks, and I don't think they look like silver marks.

Overall though I would say it looks like a spun metal piece, so its more likely 1950's than 1750's.

 

Hi:

My first thought is that this is a pewter tea caddy. According to my research, pewter first became associated with tea in China in the late 16th and early 17th centuries and there are many examples of pewter tea caddies in later centuries. The large seal is a maker's mark, indicating that this item was made by a company in Hunan Province, China. The letter "B" on the top tells me that it was owned by a Western gentleman with a first or last name that started with B. The shape is a little unusual for a tea caddy. It might have been made for tobacco or, if it was originally a tea caddy, the owner might have used it for tobacco instead of tea.

Greg

 

I thought pewter immediately, as well...

 

and I thought tea caddy...

 

It looks like it could be a tobacco cannister. Either for home use or in a shop where you could have your own blend mixed.
The B looks like an amateur job, maybe by a former owner him- or herself.

 

it's that inner lid that I like for a tea caddy...