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Title Napoleonic snuff box
Nationality French
Period c 1810
Sold

This commemorates the fighting between the English and the French in the Napoleonic Wars. It shows a column of English troops confronting a French grenadier protecting a wounded comrade, with the logo 'Plutot mourir que de nous rendre' (Better to die than surrender) at the top, all of which give it a First Empire provenance.

The English uniforms are quite distinctively delineated, in particular the stovepipe shakos of the officer with the sword and his men behind him.

Constructed from pressed burr walnut, the box (9.5cm long x 5cm wide x 2.2cm deep) is lined in tortoiseshell and the hinge appears to be silver, although pewter is a possibility. The design top and bottom would have been impressed using a hot instrument of some sort while the wood was relatively fresh. Part of one edge of the tortoiseshell is somewhat a/f, while one end of the hinge is slightly loose. Considering its age, the piece is in relatively good shape.

If you want to comment on this item—re quality, age, etc—please email me.


[Ephemera : Miscellaneous : French : 19th Century]

testimonials

The day the blunderbuss arrives I could not stop looking and feeling the gun for at least one hour. My wife told me that I was sick........ I am very happy, it is a piece of craftsmanship! Well made! I have 5 blunderbusses but all iron barrel, also from England but this one is gorgeous with the Brass Barrel.

Please keep me informed when you have any other type of blunderbuss. Thanks my friend!

M R, USA, 04.08.2011

The goods are safely in and I am delighted. Many thanks for the outstanding handling of this order and I hope we can do many more.

M R, USA, 03.04.2009

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