Lot 11
  • 11

A Charles II armorial boxwood snuff box circa 1680

bidding is closed

Description

  • 11cm. long, 8cm. wide, 2cm. deep; 4¼in., 3¼in., ¾in.
the oval box carved to the lid with the Royal Arms of Charles II and the cypher `CR' together with the arms of Sir John Shaw 1st Bt., the sides of the lid with incised lines and a cut-out notch to one end; preserved with the box is an ink manuscript inscribed paper fragment bearing the script  'Sir John Shaw of Elshaw in/ Kent and of London died/ in Bloomsbury Square and was/ buried at Etsham March 1. 1680./ He was Knighted by Charles/ the second July 25. 1660 and/ created a Baronet April 15. 1665./ Extracted from Herald office/ Book - 1826'.

Literature

Related Literature:
The Age of Charles II, Royal Academy Winter Exhibition 1960-61, no. 343

Catalogue Note

The arms beneath the Royal coat of arms of Charles II are those of Sir John Shaw 1st Bt. who rendered most essential services to King Charles II by the advance of money during his exile as a prince. Following the restoration John Shaw became one of the farmers of the Customs of London and was created Baronet on 15th April 1665. Sir John's first marriage was to Anne daugher of Sir Joseph Ashe on 25th October 1649 and second marriage was to Bridget, widow of Charles 4th Viscount Kilmorey and daughter and co-heiress of Sir William Drury.

Sir John Shaw was an M.P. for Lyme Regis between 1661 and 1679 and in 1667 rebuilt the Lodge in the Great Park, Eltham, Kent.  He died on 1st March 1680 and was succeeded by his eldest son.

Two closely related boxes sold in these rooms are an example with silver casing with provenance from the Percival D. Griffiths and Frederick Poke collections on 13 June 2001, lot 70 and another forming part of the Lee collection on 28 November 2001, lot 82. A further box of this form is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum (illustrated P.C.L. Desborough, `Old Wooden Tobacco Boxes,' The Connoisseur, Jan-June 1938, p.254, fig. VI).