Bonhams 1793 : A Birmingham or South Staffordshire enamel snuff box, circa 1760-65

Of oval shape with gilt metal hinged mounts, the lid painted with a portrait of Nancy Dawson reserved within raised gold raised scrollwork and white enamel diaper on a green ground, the sides with landscape panels, 7.5cm wide (some fine cracks and restoration)

Sold for £1,125 inc. premium

Footnotes

Provenance: Duveen Brothers, 3 January 1905. The portrait is based on a mezzotint published by Robert Sayer after Charles Spooner. Nancy Dawson (1730?-1767) became the talk of the town in 1760 when she took over the role of hornpipe dancer in The Beggar's Opera at Covent Garden, when the usual male dancer was taken ill. A popular print on enamels and porcelain shows 'Miss Nancy Dawson Dancing the Hornpipe' (see lot 76 in this sale). A contemporary version of the popular song 'Here we go round the Mulberry Bush' was sung to her praise......

Of all the girls in our town,
The black, the fair, the red, the brown,
That dance and prance it up and down,
There's none like Nancy Dawson.

Her easy mien, her shape so neat,
She foots, she trips, she looks so sweet,
Her every motion's so complete,
I die for Nancy Dawson.

See how she comes to give surprise,
With joy and pleasure in her eyes;
To give delight she always tries,
So means my Nancy Dawson.