A very fine and rare embellished silver and gilt-metal oval 'European landscape' snuff box and cover, Qianlong, circa 1740-1780. Photo courtesy Bonhams

The oval container with straight sides rising to a gently domed cover, repoussé with a gold and silver-highlighted European landscape scene of animals and structures by the river amidst trees and shrubs and below distant rocky mountains, framed within a band of ruby paste-bead embellishments, the sides with a continuous band reserved with four cartouches depicting weapons and tools as well as plants, all divided by columns and surmounted by a band of intertwined double-spiral scroll, the base engraved with a still life subject enclosed within three bands of geometric and spiral borders in sunken relief, the container opening to reveal a mirror inside the cover. 8.8cm wide; 7cm deep; 3.7cm high. Estimate HK$ 600,000 - 800,000 (€57,000 - 77,000)

See a closely comparable oval gilt metal famille-rose 'peacock' snuff box with similar design and craftsmanship towards the exterior side, currently preserved in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated by Hou, Yi-Li, Lifting the Spirit and Body: The Art and Culture of Snuff Bottles, Taipei, 2012, p.81, no.I-020 (fig.1).

Bonhams. THE SPEELMAN COLLECTION OF CHINESE 'IMPERIAL TRIBUTE' SNUFF BOXES. Hong Kong. 24 Nov 2013 13:00 CST