Unknown - silver snuff box with portraits

There are many unsigned miniature portraits, with unidentified sitters, and while some are very attractive, there is often not a lot of research that can be conducted to find out more about them.

Despite this pair of miniatures being unsigned and unidentified they were acquired as they are unusual. They are set into the interior lid of a silver snuff box. The box is probably Dutch, French, or German.

As such the item appeals to three groups of collectors; those collecting miniature portraits, snuff boxes, and sterling silver.

The snuff box is hammered silver in a rococo design and likely made at the end of the Rococo period, say 1775/1780. There is a town hall mark but it is hard to read, however the maker's mark is quite clear as "CH".

I do not know much about hallmarks but have had a look through my reference book without success. The hallmark appears to be something hovering over four thick prongs, perhaps of a crown. Any help in identifying the hallmark will be very welcome.

The portraits are finely painted on paper under glass. The wheat sheaves and agricultural implements between the man and lady, suggest they could represent a miller and his wife.

Within this collection there are a number of complete snuff boxes. They are made from a variety of materials, including silver, horn, wood, and papier-mache as shown here (the portraits are inside the silver snuff box). With portraits ranging from the famous French sculptor Joseph Chinard by Francois Soiron, to King Ferdinand VII of Spain by Stobwasser, a baby, and a mourning scene.

The history of snuff is very long with snuff taking by the Native Americans first described by a monk named Ramon Pane in 1493, during Columbus' second journey to the Americas.

By the 1700s, Snuff had become the tobacco product of choice, with fans including Napoleon, as well as George III's wife, and Pope Benedict XIII.

This box is an early example to have portraits inside. At the end of the 18C and into the 19C there were many snuff boxes with portraits set into the outside, especially in France.

The better quality portrait miniatures surviving from that period are often survivors of a broken snuff box, with the lower portion being discarded.

Even after snuff-taking ceased to be popular in general, the practice lingered among diplomats. Monarchs retained the habit of bestowing snuff-boxes upon ambassadors and other intermediaries as a form of honour. Some of these were incredibly valuable.

Prince George, Duke of Cambridge (1819-1904) shown here in a miniature from this collection, see View himself possessed an important collection. After the Duke's death a Louis XV gold snuff box was sold at auction for £2000. 1325