A very rare William III Silver Mounted Tortoiseshell Snuff Box made most probably in London circa 1695.
A very rare William III Silver Mounted Tortoiseshell Snuff Box made most probably in London circa 1695.
374360
The Snuff Box is of oval form, with silver sides, and mounts, and stand away hinge. The base is inset with a plain tortoiseshell panel and the cover displays most unusual silver pique work depicting cupid firing his arrow into a conjoined heart, below the motto which translates as: "Love Unites Two Hearts." The sailing ship and seagulls indicate that the recipient was probably going on a voyage to foreign lands, hence the inclusion of an oriental looking tower. This was almost certainly a love token, however this is the first time we have seen this design, which leads us to believe that it may have been a special commission. The box is in excellent condition and the tortoiseshell is beautifully shaded.
Length: 3 inches, 7.5 cm.
Width: 2.25 inches, 5.63cm.
Height: 0.5 inches, 1.25 cm.
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![](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://marycooke.co.uk/fine-boxes/a-very-rare-william-iii-silver-mounted-tortoiseshell-snuff-box-made-most-probably-in-london-circa-1695&media=https://seek-unique-co.s3.amazonaws.com/marycooke-8876-Qfhef-OE67/stock/622e1367b8e9a_513_374360.jpg&description=The Snuff Box is of oval form, with silver sides, and mounts, and stand away hinge. The base is inset with a plain tortoiseshell panel and the cover displays most unusual silver pique work depicting cupid firing his arrow into a conjoined heart, below the motto which translates as: "Love Unites Two Hearts." The sailing ship and seagulls indicate that the recipient was probably going on a voyage to foreign lands, hence the inclusion of an oriental looking tower. This was almost certainly a love token, however this is the first time we have seen this design, which leads us to believe that it may have been a special commission. The box is in excellent condition and the tortoiseshell is beautifully shaded.Length: 3 inches, 7.5 cm.Width: 2.25 inches, 5.63cm.Height: 0.5 inches, 1.25 cm.){kind=link}