RARE Fine Antique French c.1700s Semi-opaque Tortoise Shell and 18k Gold Pique Snuff Box

Fabulous rare c.1750s snuff box, finest blond tortoise shell with just a light modulation to chocolate shell, naturally gorgeous! Plus all that exquisite tiny star and decorative edging pique in 18k gold. Some of the finest work, and so well preserved for these 270 or so years. Lathe-crafted and carved rare blond tortoise shell (the rarest color, semi-transparent as you can see). The entire snuff is painstakingly marked and cut and inlaid with a constellation of tiny 18k gold stars, and hardly a one gone missing. This one has been treasured. From the Louis XV to Louis XVI reigns, France. Petit, to be tucked into a vest pocket, it's possible it was a patch box rather than a snuff, in this size range. You know - the little black dots people stuck to their faces to cover lesions, or to mimic beauty marks in an era when doing so was fashionable at Court. One can only guess at its history, but we do know its heritage puts it in museum quality timeframe and condition. Very good to excellent