Horn Snuffbox Depicting “napoleon” — 19th Century.

Horn snuffbox depicting “Napoleon” – 19th century.

Antique snuff box dating from the 19th century, featuring a surface design with radiating patterns (guilloché or sunburst motif) and a central oval medallion depicting a figure in uniform, traditionally identified as Napoleon Bonaparte.

The fact that it is made of pressed and hot-shaped horn (pressed horn) is a key detail, typical of historic 19th-century collectible snuffboxes.

This specific manufacturing process involved boiling bovine horn to make it malleable, after which it was placed into engraved steel molds that imprinted the decorative motif (the radiating pattern in the background and the central medallion) at extremely high pressure

Dimensions: 9.3 x 5.5 cm – height 2.5 cm

Historical Context

* Subject: The standing figure in profile within the medallion depicts Napoleon Bonaparte in his classic pose with his hand in his waistcoat and wearing his military uniform.

* Period and Context: This type of pressed horn object bearing the Emperor’s effigy experienced two major production peaks in France. The first occurred during the Imperial Period (early 19th century). The second—highly likely for this rectangular format—was around 1840, on the occasion of the famous event of Napoleon’s “Return of the Ashes” (Retour des cendrilles) of Napoleon’s ashes to Paris from Saint Helena, when the production of Napoleonic commemorative horn objects experienced a veritable commercial renaissance

Condition and Visual Details

* The box features a beautiful amber and mottled coloration (which at the time was crafted to imitate the more precious tortoiseshell).
* The wear on the corners and the small chips visible on the left and bottom edges are entirely consistent with the age and daily use of a pocket item that is nearly two centuries old. The snuffbox does not close

Napoleonic-themed horn snuffboxes are highly sought after in the historical memorabilia and militaria collecting market.