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ID #SA1196613
FOR SALE
£390
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An Antique Pen Work Snuff Box - By G Cobb
For sale by Opus Antiques
for sale €456     $495
£390
Opus Antiques

Opus Antiques

Sellingantiques Verified Since Oct 2014
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    Antique treen, boxes & decorative georgian items
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An Antique Pen Work Snuff Box - By G Cobb

19th century
For Sale by Opus Antiques
Description

This pen work snuff box was by George  Cobb. he was associated with pen-work decorated wooden snuff boxes, active from 1820-1860.

This snuff box is decorated in.pen work,  which is fine ink drawings applied directly to the snuff box and then varnished over.

The snuff box has an interesting picture on the lid of three gentlemen sitting around a table drinking. They are holding goblets, sitting on chairs and a barrel. There is a clock on the wall a window, shelf and  a fireplace. There looks like  a snuff mull on the table and maybe a pair of glasses dropped on the floor.

There is some writing on the box says but I can't make it all out. It starts with 'It is the....'

They look to be having a good time. 

The box has a hinged lid, remnants of the lining to the inside and some pen work decoration to the sides.

The box measures 9.2cm w x 4cm d x 3cm h.

Declaration

Opus Antiques has dated this Antique Penwork Snuff Box to the 19th Century.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1196613
Dealers Notes

Own a piece of history

Description
This pen work snuff box was by George  Cobb. he was associated with pen-work decorated wooden snuff boxes, active from 1820-1860.

This snuff box is decorated in.pen work,  which is fine ink drawings applied directly to the snuff box and then varnished over.

“
The snuff box has an interesting picture on the lid of three gentlemen sitting around a table drinking.
Opus Antiques

They are holding goblets, sitting on chairs and a barrel. There is a clock on the wall a window, shelf and  a fireplace. There looks like  a snuff mull on the table and maybe a pair of glasses dropped on the floor.

fig 1. A small rectangular antique wooden snuff box featuring penwork illustrations of men in a tavern on the lid and a central name tag inscribed G. Cobb on the front.
fig 1. An Antique Pen Work Snuff Box - By G Cobb

There is some writing on the box says but I can't make it all out. It starts with 'It is the....'

They look to be having a good time. 

The box has a hinged lid, remnants of the lining to the inside and some pen work decoration to the sides.

The box measures 9.2cm w x 4cm d x 3cm h.

Date of Manufacture

Opus Antiques has dated this Antique Penwork Snuff Box to the 19th Century.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1196613
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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A small rectangular antique wooden snuff box featuring penwork illustrations of men in a tavern on the lid and a central name tag inscribed G. Cobb on the front.
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Archive I A small rectangular antique wooden snuff box featuring penwork illustrations of men in a tavern on the lid and a central name tag inscribed G. Cobb on the front.

An Antique Pen Work Snuff Box - By G Cobb

Archive II A small rectangular antique wooden snuff box featuring penwork illustrations of men in a tavern on the lid and a central name tag inscribed G. Cobb on the front. View II
Archive III A small rectangular antique wooden snuff box featuring penwork illustrations of men in a tavern on the lid and a central name tag inscribed G. Cobb on the front. View III
Archive IV A small rectangular antique wooden snuff box featuring penwork illustrations of men in a tavern on the lid and a central name tag inscribed G. Cobb on the front. View IV
Archive V A small rectangular antique wooden snuff box featuring penwork illustrations of men in a tavern on the lid and a central name tag inscribed G. Cobb on the front. View V
Archive VI A small rectangular antique wooden snuff box featuring penwork illustrations of men in a tavern on the lid and a central name tag inscribed G. Cobb on the front. View VI
Archive VII A small rectangular antique wooden snuff box featuring penwork illustrations of men in a tavern on the lid and a central name tag inscribed G. Cobb on the front. View VII
Archive VIII A small rectangular antique wooden snuff box featuring penwork illustrations of men in a tavern on the lid and a central name tag inscribed G. Cobb on the front. View VIII
Archive IX A small rectangular antique wooden snuff box featuring penwork illustrations of men in a tavern on the lid and a central name tag inscribed G. Cobb on the front. View IX
Archive X A small rectangular antique wooden snuff box featuring penwork illustrations of men in a tavern on the lid and a central name tag inscribed G. Cobb on the front. View X
Enlarged Archival View
Opus Antiques

Opus Antiques
Telephone 07941 285 532
Location
North Devon
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/opusantiques
Verified Since Oct 2014
Items For Sale 101
Items Sold 2,389
Opus Antiques
Opus Antiques
Verified Since Oct 2014
View Dealer Info
Location: North Devon, United Kingdom
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/opusantiques
Verified
Oct 2014
For Sale
101
Sold
2,389
A small rectangular antique wooden snuff box featuring penwork illustrations of men in a tavern on the lid and a central name tag inscribed G. Cobb on the front.
An Antique Pen Work Snuff Box - by G Cobb
Ref: SA1196613
A small rectangular antique wooden snuff box featuring penwork illustrations of men in a tavern on the lid and a central name tag inscribed G. Cobb on the front.
Detail View 1
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Archival Detail

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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectSnuff Boxes
  • Period19th century
  • StyleGeorgian
  • MaterialSycamore, Ink, Lacquer
  • ColourWarm Ochre
  • MotifsPenwork tavern illustration, Crosshatch patterning, Inscribed cartouche

This nineteenth-century Georgian gentleman's library pen work snuff box is made from sycamore decorated with ink and lacquer in a warm ochre colour. The small rectangular wooden box has a hinged lid featuring a detailed penwork tavern illustration of three gentlemen sitting around a table drinking, accompanied by a clock on the wall, a window, a shelf and a fireplace, alongside crosshatch patterning and an inscribed cartouche on the front reading G. Cobb. The sides exhibit fine ink drawings applied directly to the surface and varnished over, showing visible signs of age including surface wear and remnants of interior lining. The box measures 9.2 cm wide by 4 cm deep by 3 cm high. It sits neatly on an office desk to store small everyday items or to display as a tactile piece of Georgian folk art in a study or living space.

FAQs

A penwork snuff box is a small 18th or 19th-century container crafted from pale wood and decorated with detailed ink illustrations using fine pens, before being sealed with a clear varnish or lacquer.

These boxes were typically constructed from fine-grained hardwoods such as sycamore or lime, using India ink for the detailed drawings and finishing with shellac or spirit varnish to protect the surface.

Authentic pieces feature fine, precise hand-drawn lines showing age-appropriate craquelure or mellowing under the varnish, often displaying period-typical subjects such as tavern scenes, classical motifs, or geometric borders.

Small decorative boxes can be displayed on an office desk, incorporated into a styled coffee table tray, or grouped with other small antiques inside a glass-fronted vitrine.

Dust gently with a soft, dry microfibre cloth and avoid water, liquid polishes, or harsh solvents that could dissolve the protective varnish or damage the ink artwork beneath.
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