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Napoleon III Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes

NAPOLEON III STYLE

Under Napoleon III’s rule, Paris underwent a great rebuilding overseen by Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann, which created grand avenues and lavish landmarks like the Paris Opera. Antique Napoleon III–style furniture was flamboyant and eclectic. It was also known as Second Empire style since it followed and referenced the Empire style of his uncle Napoleon I.

Developing from 1852–70, Napoleon III furniture was plush and ornate, matching the fashion for masked balls and socializing in salons. It borrowed freely from earlier French styles including Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI as well as aesthetics from around the world, from antiquity to Asian art. As writer Gustave Claudin remarked in 1867, the country’s architects worked in “a style which one would be tempted to call neo-Greco-Gothico-Pompadour-Pompeian.”

Napoleon III chairs were completely covered with velvet and lined with tassels; pouf footstools invited people to put up their feet. Sofas were upholstered with tapestries, and beds were adorned with gilt bronze and theatrical canopies. The addition of conservatories to homes led to new indoor-outdoor furniture, while the spirit of hygiene promoted by Baron Haussmann inspired bright, floral motifs.

Although the most ostentatious designs were for the elite, as seen in the Napoleon III apartments preserved in the Louvre, where red velvet, gilding and chandeliers create a cacophony of luxury, these trends influenced homes across classes as manufacturing made design increasingly accessible. Papier-mâché furniture allowed for elaborate shapes that would have been difficult to carve in wood. The malleable material was painted with chinoiserie patterns and decorative designs. It was mass-produced by factories such as Jennens and Bettridge with varnishing and mother-of-pearl inlays creating an effect reminiscent of Asian lacquer. (Surfaces that had been “japanned” — a specialty of Jennens and Bettridge — were intended to resemble lacquer work that was created in East Asia.)

Find a collection of antique Napoleon III decorative objects, tables, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Style: Napoleon III
Unusual 18th Century French Boulle & Brass Inlaid Snuff Box w/ Candleholder
Unusual 18th Century French Boulle & Brass Inlaid Snuff Box w/ Candleholder

Unusual 18th Century French Boulle & Brass Inlaid Snuff Box w/ Candleholder

Located in Atlanta, GA

This diminutive yet opulent 18th or 19th-century French snuff box exemplifies the Boulle-style, renowned for its intricate gilt and inlaid brass decoration against a tortoiseshell ba...

Category

18th Century French Antique Napoleon III Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes

Materials

Brass

Snuffbox two-tones enamel stripes Guilloche Sterling Silver Salimbeni
Snuffbox two-tones enamel stripes Guilloche Sterling Silver Salimbeni

Snuffbox two-tones enamel stripes Guilloche Sterling Silver Salimbeni

By Franco Salimbeni, Salimbeni

Located in Firenze, FI

Rectangular snuffbox in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with two-tone translucent stripes fired enameled on guillochè and fine hand-engraved on all sides, French Empire Napoleon...

Category

1980s Italian Vintage Napoleon III Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes

Materials

Gold, Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel

Burlwood & Hand Painted French Napolean III Style Cigar Humidor
Burlwood & Hand Painted French Napolean III Style Cigar Humidor

Burlwood & Hand Painted French Napolean III Style Cigar Humidor

Located in Incline Village, NV

Beautiful condition and highly attractive mid 20th century French Napolean III style burlwood and hand painted humidor for cigars or possibly tea leaves. Shaped in a square with a ro...

Category

1950s French Vintage Napoleon III Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes

Materials

Burl

Snuffbox basket with flowers, in Florentine Renaissance style,  Salimbeni
Snuffbox basket with flowers, in Florentine Renaissance style,  Salimbeni

Snuffbox basket with flowers, in Florentine Renaissance style, Salimbeni

By Salimbeni, Franco Salimbeni

Located in Firenze, FI

Rounded rectangular snuffbox in 925/1000 sterling Silver gold plated with beautiful fire enamelled miniature hand-painted by the painter Renato Dainelli of a basket with flowers, in ...

Category

1960s Italian Vintage Napoleon III Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes

Materials

Gold, Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel

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20th Century Sterling Silver Italian Gilded and Enameled Table Box
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19th Century Dog House Cigar Box or Humidor
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English 18th Century Gold-Mounted Agate Snuff-Box
English 18th Century Gold-Mounted Agate Snuff-Box

English 18th Century Gold-Mounted Agate Snuff-Box

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H 1.19 in W 1.78 in D 1.78 in

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19th Century Sterling Silver Snuffbox Birmingham 1848 by Rolason Bros
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H 0.75 in W 2.25 in D 1.5 in

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By Rolason Brothers

Located in Dallas, TX

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Beautiful Hand Crafted Cigar Humidor Box Catchall Antique Austria, 1910s
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H 0.79 in W 3.94 in D 2.37 in

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By Franco Salimbeni

Located in Newark, England

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19th Century French Silver Snuff Box
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H 1.07 in W 3.75 in D 1.46 in

19th Century French Silver Snuff Box

Located in Delft, NL

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Antique Victorian Brass Bound Oak Cigar Humidor 19th Century
Antique Victorian Brass Bound Oak Cigar Humidor 19th Century

Antique Victorian Brass Bound Oak Cigar Humidor 19th Century

Located in London, GB

This is a stylish antique Victorian oak brass and cedar lined tabletop cigar humidor circa 1860 in date. The rectangular box features a lift out tray and adjustable divisions with sunken handles to the sides and a hinged lid with a central brass shield. Complete with the original Bramah lock and key. It would make a beautiful gift to any connoisseur of fine cigars. Condition: In excellent condition. As an antique items, the humidor shows signs of use commensurate with age, these minor condition issues are mentioned for accuracy and, as seen in the accompanying photographs, it displays beautifully. Dimensions in cm: Height 19.5 x Width 44 x Depth 29 Dimensions in inches: Height 8 inches x Width 1 foot, 5 inches x Depth 11 inches Humidor is any kind of box or room with constant humidity that is used to store cigars, cigarettes, orpipe tobacco. For private use, small wooden or acrylic glass humidor boxes for a few dozen cigars are used, while cigar shops may have walk-in humidors. Humidors can be used to store other goods for which a certain level of humidity is desirable; the Colorado Rockies Major League Baseball team stores game balls in a large humidor at their home stadium, Coors Field, to counteract the effects of Denver's high altitude and generally low humidity. Humidors of all sizes use hygrometers to keep track of the humidity levels. Classification of humidors Walk-in humidor - most common in cigar bars or stores. One room is built as or converted to a humidor where all the cigars are stored. Cabinet humidor - usually placed on the floor as a piece of furniture. Typically holds 1000-5000 cigars. Table humidor - often quite heavy, though portable in theory, it's usually kept in one location. Capacity ranges from three hundred to a few thousand cigars. It usually comes with a polished wood exterior, marble, leather or combination of exotic elements, and glass top. Personal humidor - semi-regular cigar smokers will sometimes keep a small humidor in their homes for personal storage, special events, or aesthetic characteristics of the humidor itself . Usually contains 20-75 cigars. This may also be known as a "Desktop Humidor". Travel humidor - portable and made for carrying cigars enough for the outing or event, usually 2 to 10 cigars. Oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus - Latin "oak tree" having approximately 600 extant species. Oak wood has a density of about 0.75 g/cm3, great strength and hardness, and is very resistant to insect and fungal attack because of its high tannin content. It also has very appealing grain markings, particularly when quartersawn. Oak wood is very durable, easy to maintain and resistant to wear and tear which is why it can be easily handed to the next generations if taken well care of. Oak wood virtually lasts forever and you can still admire oak furniture in museums and palaces even if it was made many centuries ago. Oak has been prized since the Middle Ages for use in interior panelling of prestigious buildings such as the debating chamber of the House of Commons in London and in the construction of fine furniture. Bramah is London's oldest security company. Established at 124 Piccadilly, London in 1784, and today based in Marylebone, London and Romford, Essex. Bramah made their first lock in 1784 and the patent was awarded in 1787. The designer was Joseph Bramah. Joseph Bramah was a leading inventor of the industrial revolution, patenting over 18 new ideas, including a new valve for the water closet (toilet), the hydraulic pump, a fountain pen, and a fire engine. Bramah also introduced a beer hand pump for use at the bar, to prevent fluid loss when barmen went downstairs to pour a new jug! Due to the quality of his manufacturing, his name became a by-word amongst British Engineers for engineering excellence and many of his inventions are on display in the Science Museum in London. You can find one of his original toilets still working in Osborne House, Queen Victoria's home on the Isle of Wight. The Bramah lock was unique and advanced property and valuables protection enormously. Indeed it was 50 years ahead of any Chubb lock...

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Late 19th Century Napoleon III Ebonized Cigar Cabinet
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$1,422

H 8.27 in W 10.24 in D 7.49 in

Late 19th Century Napoleon III Ebonized Cigar Cabinet

Located in Casteren, Noord-Brabant

A stylish Napoleon III cigar cabinet, crafted with ebonized wood, brass inlays, and a distinctive medallion at the top, this late 1800s piece reflects the refined style of the Napole...

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1870s French Antique Napoleon III Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes

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Previously Available Items
19th Century French Enameled Porcelain and Ormolu-Mounted Jewelry Casket
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19th Century French Napoleon III Rosewood Cigar Holder Box with Brass Mounts
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Located in Dallas, TX

This elegant antique two-tone fruitwood box was crafted in France, circa 1870; the twelve-cigar holder stands on small bun feet, and features a top finial knob with rotating open and...

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Ferdinand Barbedienne Damascene Gold and Silver Inlaid Bronze Box
Ferdinand Barbedienne Damascene Gold and Silver Inlaid Bronze Box

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Napoleon Iii snuff boxes and tobacco boxes for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Napoleon III snuff boxes and tobacco boxes for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Late 20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage snuff boxes and tobacco boxes created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with enamel, metal and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Napoleon III snuff boxes and tobacco boxes made in a specific country, there are Europe, and Italy pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original snuff boxes and tobacco boxes, popular names associated with this style include and Franco Salimbeni. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for snuff boxes and tobacco boxes differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $3,442 and tops out at $3,442 while the average work can sell for $3,442.