This is an extremely finely made table snuff box carved in boxwood of Napoleon’s bust. Note the carved laurel wreath around his head and the facial expression of an important leader.
The base of the snuff box, which is the hinged lid, is carved with an eagle. Napoleon used this as a personal symbol representing strength, dominance and authority. When Napoleon escaped from exile he reportedly said, ‘The eagle will fly from steeple to steeple until it reaches the towers of Notre Dame.’ This illustrated how central the eagle was to his image as the returning ruler of France.