Featured ornate snuff box,where was it made?

Dang Holly, you are GOOD!

 

I think it’s probably European and to me looks like classic art nouveau.

 

I wonder if the figures originally had greater relief and so over polishing has removed some of the detail of the areas that stuck out more. If you look at the roses at the top of the plinth, they look unusually flat.

 

I found this online:


Pinterest shows this as an Italian 800 silver compact.

There might be more info at one of these links:

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/23995810486552397/

https://www.eliteauction.com/catalogues/121011/catalogue.php?start=150

 

Hello many thanks for all your comments about my box,

I feel some comments in my opinion are way of the mark,will not say which ones ,do not want to offend any one.

we all have a right to our opinions .
If there are any engravers out there may be their thoughts may be interesting

they may give us an idea of the skill need to do this work.

I am a silver box collector,have recently been to 13 countries on a 3 1/2 month holiday,I came back with 12 different boxes (not all silver)
did not see any boxes like this overseas at all (nothing close,with engraving inside as well)
Purchased this one locally in Australia.

I think also what we should understand is how small this box is,and how different it is looking at it with the naked eye compared to magnifying it.


The marks you mentioned are not makers marks as you can see all the noses of the dragons have lines on their noses.

I have had this issue before trying very hard to make (imagine) makers marks.

on most cases if the mark cannot be made out under 10x magnification ,
it will not be makers mark under 1000x magnification.
Regard Giotto.

 

The photos are not good enough to say anything except most of the box appears to be cast. The line"engraving" in a number of spots appear to have casting bubbles on the top of the lines.

Everyone here interprets what they see and not everyone sees the same things as others.

 

Hello
I agree with you that the top and base plates are probably cast,I cannot see bubbles you mention ,maybe fine dents that look like bubbles.The fine fret saw work and filing to clean up after casting would have been a fun job.

Regards Giotto

 

For example, I don't see any dragons, just a lot of foliate scrolling.

 

Hello
on the inside of lid and base heads blowing into vase of flowers,inside base heads with flowing wreath.

Regards Giotto.

 

Not dragons per sé, but the thing abounds with mythical creatures in a symmetrical arrangement.
There are gryphonesque and lionesque heads attached to some of the scrolling. So their 'scrolled' bodies can easily be mistaken for foliate scrolling.
And Giotto is right, the squiggles that look like possible numbers are on the nose of one of the creatures, and exactly the same ones in mirror image are on the nose of the corresponding creature on the other side.

 

One of the things I like about vinaigrettes is the pierced grill inside. Those can be very fancy. I think it's likely someone else had the same notion and decided that if those looked good on the inside of a box, why not adapt them to the outside?

 

I am afraid I must disagree, I so nothing Art Nouveau here

This box is Art Nouveau:

 

Agreed, nothing Art Nouveau about it. If anything, baroque, but I still think that inner engraving looks very Anglo Indian. Raj.

 

I have never seen all those European mythical beast's heads on an Anglo Indian piece though. And the metal looks too thin for Anglo Indian.
It looks very Continental European Historic Revival (something the 19th century Austro-Hungarian Empire is famous for).

This is some of my Anglo Indian silver, just scrollwork and lotus borders, no European mythical beasts, and pretty thick edges:

 

Ah well. Always happy to stand corrected. That’s how we learn.

 

can I have that box...
I want that box...
Gimme that box.............& no one gets hurt !!!

 

Sorry Raj,
You are way off about Anglo Indian, I have posted this Anglo Indian box I have specially for you.

And also another very interesting Art Nouveau jewellery box I have (one of my overseas Buys,expensive).
I have also added my porcelain plaque (Hutschenreuther,not KPM)

Any jewellery ,seems to understand my box very well.

Regards Giotto.

 

Hello
Lovely box.
Is it marked ?looks like WMF, Germany. Similar period to this box.

Regards Giotto