Tortoise Shell Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes

An exquisite miniature of French philosopher Charles Montesquieu graces the lid of this tortoiseshell-lined snuff box. The handsome portrait was fash...

Large Georgian table or master snuff box of cushion form having tortoiseshell veneered front, back and end caps with green stained mulberry burl bottom and lid, the lid with a wood h...

A antique tortoiseshell singing bird box, by Bontems Circa 1890, Going-barrel movement, Motor-view light anomaly... When wound and start/...

A good antique composition tortoiseshell and gilt metal singing bird box, German circa 1900 Going-barrel movement Setting the birds free... When wound and the sta...

A fine antique pictorial enamel and underbelly-cut tortoiseshell singing bird box, Circa 1910, Going-barrel movement, Soft streaks of light throughout this fabulous case... When wound and start/stop slide moved to the right, the bird emerges through the pierced and tooled gilt grille, moving bone beak, wings and body from side-to-side to continuous synchronized birdsong. With the bird displaying...

Gabriella Crespi tortoise and sterling silver box. Vintage Crespi cylindrical cigarette case with engraved Gabriella Crespi logo monogram and original ...

A antique tortoiseshell singing bird box, most probably by Bontems, Going barrel movement, Gilt metal two-tone brilliance... When wound and start/stop slide moved to the right, the bird pops up through foliate chased gilt grille, then proceeds to move bone beak, wings and body from side-to-side to good complex continuous synchronized birdsong. The bird with streaked feathered plumage in brown, yellow, turquoise and red, lime green and purple iridescent highlights, highly polished lid interior for full bird reflection, in plain polished tortoiseshell case, twinned laurel leaf engraved bird lid border with the bird lid engraved with love birds and rose united beneath leaf swag arch, accentuated with gilt on silvered ground, hidden key...

English tortoiseshell box. Ovoid shaped lidded snuffbox with integral handle of richly patterned tortoiseshell, England, circa 1900. Dimensions: 3.5...

19th century English tortoiseshell hinged box with silver decorations.

There is much more to this exquisite Georgian snuffbox than meets the eye. Beautifully crafted of striking burlwood, this unassuming box features a lining of precious tortoiseshell and a false bottom, which, when gently unscrewed, reveals a miniature erotic painting of exceptional detail. Erotic antiques...

An extremely rare antique English George III Rococo pressed tortoiseshell, ormolu and Battersea enamel snuff box. This beautiful oblong box is in pristine condition and has been well...

A scintillating Sapphic scene adorns the cover of this rare erotic snuff box. Set into the top of this burlwood and tortoiseshell container, this high...

- A hugely rare and intimate piece of British history: Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson's snuff box - Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson (1758–1805) is one of the most celebrated figures in British history, best remembered for his heroic efforts during the Napoleonic wars. Nelson's career as a naval officer saw him lead the British fleet to several victories, during which he suffered injuries, including the loss of his right arm and the sight in his right eye. His most famous victory came in October 1805 at the Battle of Trafalgar, in which the Royal Navy decimated the combined fleets of the French and Spanish navies. Prior to the battle, Nelson sent out the famous message "England expects that every man will do his duty". Tragically, he was shot by a French sniper and died on board his ship the HMS Victory mid battle. His body was returned to England where he was granted a state funeral, and numerous monuments were erected in his honor, including Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square, London. This tortoiseshell composition snuff box was originally owned by Lord Nelson, and features a miniature watercolor scene of the Amalfi coast on the top. The box was gifted by Nelson to his personal secretary George Unwin, during a dinner party in Sicily in late 1798 or early 1799 which was also attended by Nelson's mistress, Emma, Lady Hamilton. Nelson had first met Hamilton in 1793 and the pair were reunited in 1798 following the Battle of the Nile. Having been severely injured, Nelson recuperated in Naples, during which time he was nursed back to health by Lady Emma and her elderly husband, Sir William Hamilton. It was during this period that Nelson and Hamilton began their famous love affair, which lasted until Nelson's death at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. It seems highly possible that Nelson gave this gift to Unwin as a show of generosity, in an attempt to impress his mistress over dinner. The snuff box is offered along with a manuscript letter by Unwin's son, George, which reads in full: "My Father had either lost his own snuff box on going ashore or in some shop in Palermo and upon mentioning the circumstances at Lady Hamilton’s table where Lord Nelson was one of the party his Lordship...