This brilliantly hand carved walnut tobacco or pipe smoker stand is the best I have ever seen. It dates to circa 1860 and was made in the Black Forest region of Switzerland which is renowned for its local skills of producing fine hand carved objects often sold to wealthy travellers of the time.This superb example is of a larger scale and depicts a very appealing dog with his two front legs raised onto a step with two bowls in front of him, presumably for food and water. He is tethered with a chain which is attached to his collar. The quality and detailing are a credit to the artist who carved it.This splendid piece captures a very natural pose. The eyes are inlaid and are made from glass. The head is hinged and lifts back to reveal its true purpose as a container for pipe tobacco, and the bowls would be used for matches and resting a pipe.Height 17cm x width 24cm x depth 19cmRobert Belcher Antiques was established in 1984 and is a high-quality retailer of interestin...