Sold 2 July 2025 · Opus Antiques

This “Antique Treen Scottish Penwork Snuff Box” 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.

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Antique Pocket Snuff Scottish Folk Art Vintage Treen Container Ask the dealer for something similar

Description

This is a lovely C19th Scottish sycamore and pen work snuff box, decorated all over with diagonal bands of leaves on black and red sprigs. Inside there are remnants of the original foil lining. The box has a wooden intergral hinge.

It measures 7.9 cm w x 4.6 cm d x 2cm h.

Date of Manufacture

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

Reference Numbers

Sellingantiques Reference

SA1113222

Dealers Notes

Own a piece of history

Description

It measures 7.9 cm w x 4.6 cm d x 2cm h.

Date of Manufacture

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

Reference Numbers

Sellingantiques Ref

SA1113222

About the Dealer

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 wooden snuff box featuring intricate black and red penwork leaf patterns across its amber surface.

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Archive I

Antique Treen Scottish Penwork Snuff Box

Archive II

A small rectangular wooden snuff box featuring intricate black and red penwork leaf patterns across its amber surface. View II

Archive III

A small rectangular wooden snuff box featuring intricate black and red penwork leaf patterns across its amber surface. View III

Archive IV

A small rectangular wooden snuff box featuring intricate black and red penwork leaf patterns across its amber surface. View IV

Archive V

A small rectangular wooden snuff box featuring intricate black and red penwork leaf patterns across its amber surface. View V

Archive VI

A small rectangular wooden snuff box featuring intricate black and red penwork leaf patterns across its amber surface. View VI

Archive VII

A small rectangular wooden snuff box featuring intricate black and red penwork leaf patterns across its amber surface. View VII

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 98

Items Sold 2,404

Email Opus Antiques

Antique Treen Scottish Penwork Snuff Box

Ref: SA1113222

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Cataloguer’s Note

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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing

ObjectSnuff Box
Period19th century
StyleScottish Folk Art
MaterialBoxwood, Ink, Varnish
ColourAmber, Black
MotifsFoliate patterns, Hand-drawn penwork, Geometric striping

FAQs

Scottish penwork refers to a meticulous decorative technique popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, where artisans used India ink to hand-draw intricate motifs directly onto wooden items such as snuff boxes and needle cases before varnishing.

These items were typically fashioned from close-grained hardwoods like boxwood, sycamore, or fruitwood, which provided a smooth, pale surface optimal for detailed pen-and-ink illustration.

Authentic pieces generally exhibit period-correct hand-cut joinery, genuine age-related patination, and organic wear to the hand-drawn ink work beneath the aged varnish rather than modern printed transfers.

These compact objects can be displayed individually on coffee tables, mantelpieces, or bookshelves, adding texture, historic narrative, and rich colour to domestic spaces.

Preservation involves keeping the object away from direct sunlight and fluctuating humidity to prevent the wood from splitting and to protect the fragile ink work from fading.