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March 28, 2024, 07:37:44 pm
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Is this cloisonne set of tiny boxes related to snuff?

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Author Topic: Is this cloisonne set of tiny boxes related to snuff?  (Read 559 times)
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ileney
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« on: February 12, 2015, 11:51:34 am »

Does anyone know what this is or what it was for and if it is related to snuff? I had actually posted this question with the questions about my quartz bottles, but didn't get a reply, probably because the question about the box actually belongs here. This set came in a brocade box that said "Peking jewelry," but the cloisonne box is too small to hold jewelry. It is actually a set of tiny boxes, the largest side of any of them being 2". When put all together as shown, the entire thing measures about 3.5 inches by 4.0 inches. Is this perhaps related to snuff? Or could this be a miniature of a much larger box that was made and sold for tourists?  It does not look old to me. It appears to be cloisonne over brass. Each box can stand alone, but can be placed together as shown. The boxes are all a plain blue enamel on the inside. Thank you for any information you can provide.


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Steven
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« Reply #1 on: February 12, 2015, 01:53:53 pm »

Hi Ileney,

That should be a candy box as I mentioned on the other post, there are a few image attached, they might not exactly same, but you got the idea.

Steven


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ileney
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« Reply #2 on: February 12, 2015, 02:06:47 pm »

Thanks Steven,

Do you think it is a miniature copy of a candy dish intended for tourists? The example you show at the top looks the same, but mine could probably not hold more than one piece of candy per box.

Ilene
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Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司
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« Reply #3 on: February 13, 2015, 11:56:49 am »

Dear Ilene,
    It may well be a tourist item imitating a set of sweet boxes or condiment holders in miniature.
    I had a friend in Hawaii who collected Meiji and Taisho period sweet boxes in solid silver from Japan. They were made to give a wedding sweet as a souvenir to guests at posh Japanese weddings - each box could cost the equivalent of US$30-50, while the single sweet or two inside was worth US$2 !
   Today of course, the boxes are much dearer.
    Your item looks very nice.
 Best,
Shabbat Shalom,
    Joey
   
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Joey Silver (Si Zhouyi 義周司), collecting snuff bottles since Feb.1970

ileney
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« Reply #4 on: February 14, 2015, 02:27:20 pm »

Thanks Joey!
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Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司
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« Reply #5 on: February 14, 2015, 06:22:12 pm »

Dear Ilene,
     Do your miniature boxes have totally removable covers or hinged covers? If the former, I would definitely think it is copying the condiment sets or sets serving sweets, and not like the pieces I described.
Best,
 Joey
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Joey Silver (Si Zhouyi 義周司), collecting snuff bottles since Feb.1970

ileney
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« Reply #6 on: February 14, 2015, 06:33:39 pm »

Dear Ilene,
     Do your miniature boxes have totally removable covers or hinged covers? If the former, I would definitely think it is copying the condiment sets or sets serving sweets, and not like the pieces I described.
Best,
 Joey
Thanks Joey. The lids come off. They are not hinged.
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