Beautiful Continental Silver [800] Table Snuff with Gilt Interior

This beautiful gilt lined table snuff, is delightfully decorated with scenes of contemporary life to all sides. A travelling minstrel with fiddle playing for a dancing couple on the lid, a more exotic scene of two men carrying what appears to be the fruit of the date palm on the base and twelve smaller portrayals of what appear to be men and dogs in individual panels around the sides. Possibly French the silver marks are barely discernible, but seem to comprise; a mis-struck 'A' date letter, a heart identifying the silver as 800 grade and what is most likely four crowns on a shield. There is also an interesting bright cut inscription to the front upstand that the lid closes on, that reads; "To Edward Solomon Esq. a souvenir of the Pompadour". It is virtually impossible to determine the exact meaning of this message, but it is possible it refers to events (unknown) at one of the many Hotel La Pompadour in Paris toward the end of the 19th century. We will never know for certain but; the imagination could run wild on such a small insight into events that took place over a hundred years ago and were worthy of memorialising on an expensive silver gilt gift!