20ltd

Thursday 25th February, 2010
image A GEORGE III SNUFF BOX From Wartski's website: "A George III silver memento mori snuff box, in the form of a coffin containing skull and crossbones, the lid exterior with gold name plaque and with engraved coffin rivets, opening to reveal gilt interior with a skull and crossbones on the lid. Maker probably James Beattie London, 1790. Length 5.8 cm. In Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens puts such a box into the hands of Mr Sowerberry the undertaker: ''You’ll make your fortune, Mr. Sowerberry,’ said the beadle, as he thrust his thumb and forefinger into the proffered snuff-box of the undertaker: which was an ingenious little model of a patent coffin.'' (Oliver Twist, first published in serialized form 1837-39). A coffin snuff box dating from 1792, formed from copper with an hourglass engraved on the lid, is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum (object number M.1030-1926)." Direct link
http://www.wartski.com/

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