Antique Hand Carved Ivory Table Snuff Box, 7 People in Bas Relief, c. 17th to 18th Century
Definitely a museum piece, this! No, it's not perfect, but even the old restoration would probably be at least 200 years old. The case you see here is hand carved and dates late 1600s to early 1700s, probably Dutch carving or German. Superb detail in the faces of the figures, it might commemorate a group of friends who lived at that time. It is a largish snuff, known as a 'table snuff' and it would have been a prized work of art in its own time, but its'a fabulous treasure in ours, some 300-350 years later. A very rare find, indeed. And while it has a restored crack traversing the cover and some restoration along that bottom left edge and side panels, that work is, as noted, probably at least 200 years old. Very sturdy as you see it. Good to very good for age and type, this item is so old that even the old restoration to the damage is more than 200 years old. There are pins of metal and bracing on backside that holds the 2 portions of the once broken lid in place very firmly a