Antique Georgian Fish-handle Lead Tobacco Box

An early 19th-century Georgian octagonal lead tobacco box with an intriguing fish-handle lid. Large table tobacco boxes such as this were sometimes referred to as “Community boxes,” as they were often shared at gatherings. They feature a secondary internal lid that served as a press to keep the tobacco compressed and moist.

Today, a beautifully crafted object full of history like this one could serve as a unique storage box—for jewellery, potpourri—or simply as a decorative object rich in character and provenance.

Size: 12 cm (h, including fish handle) × 11 cm × 8.5 cm.

Age/Period: Georgian / c. 1800s.

Condition: Good vintage condition, with some minor bumps and small areas of metal loss as shown in the images.

Please be advised that all items in our Vintage Collection are second-hand pieces, which means that they may have had significant previous use. Marks, stains, bumps, dents and wear that are cosmetic are part of the nature of vintage pieces and are therefore not recognised as defects. Only items where the function of the piece is impacted will be considered damaged. All cosmetic marks and signs of wear are part of the natural character of vintage pieces. If you are not comfortable with used or worn pieces, our standard collection may be more appealing.