Curiosity, Snuffbox - Tobacco Shaker - Curé Lubrique - Erotica, Curiosa - Folk Art

Second half of the 19th century

France

Exceptional, rare and highly unusual testament to the anticlerical and saucy folk art of the 19th century, this anthropomorphic carved wooden tobacco shaker depicts a clergyman hiding a surprising double secret.

The main face, of great apparent wisdom, reveals the bust of a religious man (monk or parish priest) with his hands piously joined on his chest. The bearded face is finely sculpted, emphasized by horn-encrusted eyes, while the ecclesiastical details are meticulously rendered: the bure, the rope knotted on the flank and a long, dangling rosary ending in a beautifully sharp cross. The top of the head features the traditional tonsure, discreetly pierced for the locking mechanism to pass through.

Beneath this devout appearance lies an ingenious double-opening pocket mechanism pivoting on fine metal hinges:

• The rear opens through a wide back trapdoor concealed in the folds of the cassock, revealing the main reserve designed to accommodate snuff.
• The front opens with a second secret trapdoor revealing, in a pure spirit of saucy caricature, a carved wooden male attribute mounted on a mobile system.

The entire object is secured and made totally airtight for transport thanks to a system of removable wooden pegs and pulls running through the statuette.

This type of satirical and erotic object, often referred to as a "monk's secret", circulated under the cloak in the circles of frondeurs and freethinkers in the second half of the 19th century. Turning moral rigor and ecclesiastical celibacy on their head, these double-bottomed snuffboxes were daring conversation pieces, where the technical virtuosity of the artisan turner was put to the service of social satire.

Superb quality carving in dense wood (probably walnut or pear) offering a magnificent patina of use, deep and lustrous from repeated hand rubbing. The hinges are perfectly original and the mechanism is complete with its locking pegs, in a state of freshness and operation that is exceptional for this type of mechanical piece.

Dimensions:

Height: 16 cm

Delivery: ALL DELIVERIES ARE MADE BY DHL EXPRESS ONLY.