Antique Chocolate and Cognac Tortoise Shell Snuff Box, Elaborate Pique Work, c.1770s soupier a' la Palais Royal

a' la Palais Royal

Larger than the average snuff box

Brides and Mistresses seductive pose with breasts peeking through is delicately treated in this one

since the one image is the prep for bottle-making

Antique Chocolate and Cognac Tortoise Shell Snuff Box, Elaborate Pique Work, c.1770s soupier a' la Palais RoyalFrom the time of ill fated French King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette this elaborately pique worked snuff box survives in remarkably fine condition. Semi opaque, rare mottled chocolate and cognac shell and inlays in gold, silver and abalone. Some smaller boxes made similarly have covered compartments within and are smaller, and are 'bote a mouche', or the small boxes that little black cosmetic patches were kept in that era. This size would have been a