Antique snuff box made of silver, gold, mother of pearl, genuine precious gem stones (emerald, ruby, sapphire), hand engraved and enameled and with openwork lions

and crown flanking a huge heart-shaped garnet.

From the prestigious estate of Mrs Mary Timmins, well-known collector and authority on antiques, who lectured on

the subject in the 1940's, this was one of the pieces she used in her talk on Women in Colonial Days. Her son told me that the box is RUssian, but I found no

hallmarks.

Box dates to the 19th century.

Box measures 2 7/7 X2 1/4 inches. Height is just under 3/4 inch.

Rectangular in shape, hinged, long, narrow thumbpiece in front of lid.

Every side of the box is decorated. THe bottom outside is gilt with hand engraving of flowers and foliage. The sides are bordered by slightly protruding rims, with

hand enamelled decoration in red, white and blue very finely painted inbetween.

The top is covered first by a layer of mother of pearl. This has gilt overlay

scrollwork over it, with a vignette in the middle with a pair of lions and a crown - very Royal looking. The standing lions hold a large heart-shaped red stone

between them. Above and below are blue oval sapphires and on either side are rectangular emeralds. The corners each have an oval gem with smaller oval rubies on

their inside corners.

The inside is clearly gold on the bottom. The top is also metal, copper in colour, and textured like a match strike.

I found no identifying marks on the box.

Condition is very good.

I received an email that reads: "double lion in profile and a crown in the middle is a symbol, and has been for centuries ,of Netherlands. I doubt the box is Russian. It would have been marked, besides the style does not look Russian. "  Any / all comments are welcome.

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