A gold snuff box, English, probably circa 1725

A gold snuff box, English

probably circa 1725

cartouche-shaped, the lid chased with Mercury playing the pan flute for an aged sheperd, a dog seated next to him, a cow and a rural landscape in the background, surrounded by scrolling Berainesque borders on a sablé ground, centred with a griffin with spread wings at the bottom and a classical mask at the top, the lid with reeded sides and a raised chased thumbpiece, the sides of the base turned with a floral lozenge pattern and polished flat scrollwork around the corners, plain polished underside

7.5cm., 3 in. wide