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Lot 127
A rare South Staffordshire enamel erotic snuff box, circa 1770
23 February 2022, 11:00 GMT
London, KnightsbridgeSold for £1,275 inc. premium
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A rare South Staffordshire enamel erotic snuff box, circa 1770
Of oval form, the lid depicting a finely dressed gentleman holding two birds and proclaiming 'One bird in the Bush is worth two in the Hand..', a lady's legs and petticoat poking out from the bush below, a rather phallic tree stump to the left of the gentleman, the sides of the box painted with pink and green floral garlands, 7.3cm wide
Footnotes
The corruption of the well-known proverb 'a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush' alongside the suggestive tree stump would have provided some scandalous amusement for the 18th century snuff taker.
