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Antique Coquilla Nut Bugbear Snuff Flask
Sold by Opus Antiques
sold SA1144003
Sorry, but this item has been sold.
Opus Antiques

Opus Antiques

Sellingantiques Verified Since Oct 2014
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Antique Coquilla Nut Bugbear Snuff Flask

19th century
Sold 28 May 2025 · Opus Antiques
This “Antique Coquilla Nut Bugbear Snuff Flask” found a buyer.

It was listed by Opus Antiques. Sold pieces stay on Sellingantiques as a record of what has passed through, and the next one is rarely far away.

Description

A late 1700s/early1800s bugbear coquilla  snuff flask. Elaborately and finely carved with military motifs, possibly a Napoleonic soldier. There is a carved women  and another women playing a harp, carved flowers and leaves and birds.

At one end there is a carved humorous face with glass eyes and an opening for a  mouth where the snuff would be accessed from. There is a bone peg being used for a stopper. This piece is very finely made and is in very good condition.

It measures approx 7cm l x 3.5cm w.

A bugbear was a folkloric creature, and the term became a playful label for grotesque or humorous carved figures. In treenware, bugbear flasks were usually:

Carved from coquilla nut or  boxwood or other fine-grain hardwoods.

Depicting a grotesque or humorous face on one end 

Hollowed inside and used to carry snuff (powdered tobacco).

Often detailed with elaborate carvings like soldiers, animals, or floral designs

Date of Manufacture

Opus Antiques has dated this Carved Coquilla Nut Snuff Flask to the 19th Century.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1144003
Dealers Notes

Own a piece of history

Description
A late 1700s/early1800s bugbear coquilla  snuff flask. Elaborately and finely carved with military motifs, possibly a Napoleonic soldier. There is a carved women  and another women playing a harp, carved flowers and leaves and birds.
“
At one end there is a carved humorous face with glass eyes and an opening for a  mouth where the snuff would be accessed from.
Opus Antiques

There is a bone peg being used for a stopper. This piece is very finely made and is in very good condition.

fig 1. An intricately carved brown coquilla nut snuff flask featuring figural relief work and botanical motifs.
fig 1. Antique Coquilla Nut Bugbear Snuff Flask

It measures approx 7cm l x 3.5cm w.

A bugbear was a folkloric creature, and the term became a playful label for grotesque or humorous carved figures. In treenware, bugbear flasks were usually:

Carved from coquilla nut or  boxwood or other fine-grain hardwoods.

Depicting a grotesque or humorous face on one end 

Hollowed inside and used to carry snuff (powdered tobacco).

Often detailed with elaborate carvings like soldiers, animals, or floral designs

Date of Manufacture

Opus Antiques has dated this Carved Coquilla Nut Snuff Flask to the 19th Century.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1144003
Opus Antiques
Opus Antiques
Sellingantiques verified Since Oct 2014

Antique treen, boxes & decorative georgian items

Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Opus Antiques Profile Page

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An intricately carved brown coquilla nut snuff flask featuring figural relief work and botanical motifs. SOLD6+ MONTHS AGO
1 / 9
Archive I An intricately carved brown coquilla nut snuff flask featuring figural relief work and botanical motifs. SOLD6+ MONTHS AGO

Antique Coquilla Nut Bugbear Snuff Flask

Archive II An intricately carved brown coquilla nut snuff flask featuring figural relief work and botanical motifs. View II
Archive III An intricately carved brown coquilla nut snuff flask featuring figural relief work and botanical motifs. View III
Archive IV An intricately carved brown coquilla nut snuff flask featuring figural relief work and botanical motifs. View IV
Archive V An intricately carved brown coquilla nut snuff flask featuring figural relief work and botanical motifs. View V
Archive VI An intricately carved brown coquilla nut snuff flask featuring figural relief work and botanical motifs. View VI
Archive VII An intricately carved brown coquilla nut snuff flask featuring figural relief work and botanical motifs. View VII
Archive VIII An intricately carved brown coquilla nut snuff flask featuring figural relief work and botanical motifs. View VIII
Archive IX An intricately carved brown coquilla nut snuff flask featuring figural relief work and botanical motifs. View IX
Enlarged Archival View
Telephone 07941 285 532
Location
North Devon
United Kingdom
Verified Since Oct 2014
Items For Sale 99
Items Sold 2,403
Opus Antiques
Opus Antiques
Verified Since Oct 2014
View Dealer Info
Location: North Devon, United Kingdom
Verified
Oct 2014
For Sale
99
Sold
2,403
An intricately carved brown coquilla nut snuff flask featuring figural relief work and botanical motifs.
Antique Coquilla Nut Bugbear Snuff Flask
Ref: SA1144003
An intricately carved brown coquilla nut snuff flask featuring figural relief work and botanical motifs.
Detail View 1
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Archival Detail
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Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectSnuff Flask
  • Period19th century
  • StyleVictorian Folk Art
  • MaterialCoquilla Nut
  • ColourBrown
  • MotifsFigural relief carving, Architectural brick pattern, Floral garlands, Botanical foliate borders

Coquilla nut flasks are carved containers made from the hard, dense seed of the Attalea palmae palm native to South America, heavily utilised by European folk artists and sailors during the 18th and 19th centuries to craft intricate pocket-sized items.

Craftsmen used hand-held gouges, fine chisels, and small drills to carve detailed low-relief designs directly into the dense, dark brown outer shell of the natural nut, often exploiting the grain to create tonal contrast.

Authentic pieces feature dense, hard organic material that exhibits a fine grain under magnification, natural ageing patination, and hand-carved tool marks rather than modern machine-moulded uniformity.

These small-scale collector pieces integrate seamlessly into curated displays on bookshelves, inside glass cabinet vitrines, or placed atop decorative boxes to add texture and historical intrigue.

Preserve organic carvings by keeping them away from direct sunlight and fluctuating humidity, cleaning only with a dry, soft-bristled brush to protect the delicate surface patina.
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