19th C. Chinese Brass Snuff Boxes w/ Erotic Scenes (pr)

East Asia, China, Shanghai region, late Qing Dynasty, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. An interesting pair of two brass boxes used for storing tobacco snuff or opium. The smaller vessel has a single removable container housed within a form-fitting jacket, and the larger has a pair of containers that are stored in a similar fashion. The outer jackets are etched on one side with an image of a happy man and woman and on the other with four columns of Chinese characters. The surfaces of the interior vessels, conversely, feature explicitly erotic scenes between the exterior figures. The raised emblem of the smaller vessel illustrates an abstract bat, and those of the larger bear the front and back halves of a Foo Dog. Size of largest: 2.125" W x 2.2" H (5.4 cm x 5.6 cm).

Provenance: ex-private Maui, Hawaii, USA collection

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#150474
Condition Report: Both vessels have minor softening to some etched details and details to raised lid emblems, light encrustations within vessels, and minor darkening to some exterior areas of jackets and containers, otherwise intact and very good. Nice patina throughout. All three vessels are removable from their exterior jackets.