A Georgian sterling silver snuff box 1821 Birmingham, by John…
click the photo to enlarge
A Georgian sterling silver snuff box 1821 Birmingham, by John Lawrence & Co with concealed hinge and engine turned decoration, height: 1.4 cm, width 7 cm depth 4.2 cm

You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.

Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item

When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

This item has been sold, and the description, image and price are for reference purposes only.
  • Engine Turned - Engine turning is a decorative technique used on metal surfaces to create intricate curving or geometric pattern. The process involves cutting a series of lines into the surface of the metal using a rose engine or decoration lathe which rotates the metal as it cuts, allowing the operator to create a repeating pattern that covers the entire surface. The resulting surface has a shimmering, reflective quality that is often described as "engine turned." Where an engine turned item has been enamelled, the term used to describe the decoration is usually guilloche.

    Engine turning was originally developed to decorate metal objects such as firearms, scientific instruments, and other metal objects that required precise and elegant design.
  • Georgian - As an English stylistic period, Georgian is usually taken to cover the period from George I (1714) to the Regency of Prince George (1811-20), although the period from 1800 to 1830 is sometimes designated as the Regency period. During the Georgian period the great English cabinetmakers and designers such as Chippendale, Hepplewhite, Adam Sheraton etc., were all active.

    Therefore there isn't a single 'Georgian style' as such and to say something is 'Georgian', usually means it was made between 1714 and 1830. This assumes we discount George V and George VI, both being from the 20th century.

    The styles popular at the time of each reign were:

    George I (1714-1727) saw out the last years of the Baroque period.

    George II (1727-1760) reigned during the Rococo period.

    George III (1760-1820) saw the last gasp of the Rococo, all of the early Neo-Classic 'Adam style' and most of the later neo-Classic 'Regency style'.

    George IV (Prince Regent 1820-1830)encompassed the last of the 'Regency' style.

    William IV's reign (1830-1837) was something of a no man's land (stylistically) and he wasn't a 'George' anyway. He covered the last glimmerings of 'Regency' and the start of the 'Victorian' style.
  • Sterling Silver - Sterling silver is a mixture of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% of another metal, usually copper. Fine silver is 99.9% pure silver, and is relatively soft and the addition of the very small amount of copper gives the metal enough strength and hardness to be worked into jewellery, decorative and household objects.

This item has been included into following indexes:

Visually similar items

Hallmarked sterling silver stamp box book form

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

George IV hallmarked sterling silver snuff box. Birmingham 1828, maker Joseph Taylor. Internally inscribed ' ...top companion John Fife - Aug. 29th 1829'. Gilded interior. Monogrammed. Provenance: Private Collection, ACT. Length 7 cm. Wt. 61g

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

Georgian snuff box. Hand engraved in the regency style. Hallmarked JW. Birmingham. Approx 40g & 6 cm long

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

Silver cigarette case, mark of Hardy Brothers, Birmingham, 1910, of square shape, with gilt interior, hallmarked, approx. Weight 148.9 grams, height 9 cm length 9 cm

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.