Charming Pair Of Cannel Coal Snuff Boxes With Provenance Of Maker And Date 1817
- FREE UK SHIPPING WITH ALL ORDERS
- INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS PLEASE PROCEED TO CHECKOUT FOR SHIPPING QUOTES
A quite charming pair of early 19th century snuff boxes carved from cannel coal. They both contain a little handwritten note telling who they were made by and when.
The maker was a cannel coal miner named Thomas Haddock who made them in 1817. He was the grandfather of a lady with an even better name, one ‘Fanny Haddock’…
Blimmin’ marvellous!
Cannel coal has been used as jewellery since the neolithic period, often alongside jet, dating from the centuries before 3500BC.
Cannel coal was more compact and duller than ordinary coal, and could be worked in the lathe and polished. In the Durham coalfield and throughout many other mining communities, carving cannel coal into ornaments was a popular pastime amongst the miners.
Condition is good, commensurate with age and use. Some remnants of snuff in one. Both structurally sound, however, the circular one does have some internal chips, please see photos.
Measures 7.5cm x 4.3cm x 2cm (rectangular) & 4.5cm x 1.6cm (circular)
Weighs 61.81 grams (rectangular) & 22.65 grams (circular). Total Combined = 84.46 grams