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
Own a piece of history
Antique ID Number (AIDN): SA1144003
Dateline of this antique is 19th Century
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