Antique 19th Century Snuff Box With Naive Period Painting Of The ‘Horse & Groom’ Pub, Lea Bridge, Engraved Inside & Dated 1816
- FREE UK SHIPPING WITH ALL ORDERS
- INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS PLEASE PROCEED TO CHECKOUT FOR SHIPPING QUOTES
An early 19th century snuff box depicting the ‘Horse & Groom pub at Lea Bridge, engraved inside with the date 1816. Originally known as the Ferry House Inn (established circa 1630), the Horse and Groom was a key stop for travellers crossing the River Lea, offering food, lodging, and stabling. By 1810, it was a well-established local landmark.
The painting is very naive and shows a typical rural English inn, with a hanging sign and distinctive features matching descriptions of the time. The nearby steeple hints at a small church or chapel that served the growing communities of Leyton and Hackney Marshes.
Personalised and initialed, the box is not only a rare surviving image of the pub, which was demolished around 1868 to make way for the Lea Bridge Waterworks, but also a loverly piece of the area’s social and architectural history.
The snuff box is made of tortoiseshell and the lip and hinges, although untested, are strongly believed to be rose gold.
Condition is good, commensurate with age and use. Structurally sound and functions well.
Measures 8cm x 5cm x 2cm
Weighs 59 grams