Box (Snuff box)

Description

This small pointed oval or navette-shaped box is constructed of tortoiseshell, mother-of-pearl, and silver. The lid has been pressed with a beaded border, bearing the initials of the original owner. Small ornaments, worn close the body, were often personalized bearing the owner’s initials. In decorative arts, the term "tortoise shell" is commonly used to describe scutes, or plates, of the shell from hawksbill, green, or loggerhead turtles. Mother-of-pearl, also known as nacre, is made of the same material as pearls and forms the inner layer of some mollusk shells such as abalone and oysters.