John Obrisset (French/British, active 1705-1728), Two Rare Impressed Snuff Boxes

London, first decade of the 18th century, the first, a tortoiseshell snuff box with silver mount and hinge (acid tested, no hallmarks), the lid with an impression of Queen Anne (r. 1702-1714) in profile, signed "OB" and dated 1705 to lid, additionally signed with initials beneath crown mark to interior (3 1/4 x 2 3/8 in.); the second, a horn snuff box impressed with a mythical scene of satyrs and cupids, signed "OB" to lid (3 1/4 x 4 1/8 in.).

From the Collection of Josephine Chapman Borthwick, Pinehurst, North Carolina

Similar Queen Anne snuff boxes by Obrisset found in both the Metropolitan (Object No. 17.190.1147) and Victoria & Albert Museum (Accession No. 17-1924 and 305-1879) collections.

He [Obrisset] probably came from a family of artists (Aubrisset) in Dieppe, and may have been one of many Huguenots (French Protestants) forced to emigrate to England and elsewhere after 1685 because of renewed persecution in France. Little is known of his life and work; he specialized in pressed horn and tortoiseshell portraits.

Bio courtesy of the Victoria & Albert Museum.

Queen Anne lid no longer adhered to silver mount, small crack to one side of base, minute flecks of paint or old adhesive to lid; horn box with a small hole and two small nicks to base, scuffing to underside and lip, slight rubbing to impressed details to lid.