A very rare Mennecy silver-mounted Lady's Patch or Snuffbox is modelled as a Nesting Eared Owl, its feathers picked out in shades of brown and puce. The oval base is moulded and painted with a leafy spray of flowers in the oriental manner. The hinged cover opens to reveal an exquisitely painted bouquet of European flowers, including a divergent tulip and a rose.
After spending many years experimenting with porcelain production under the patronage of the duc de Villeroy, arcanist François Barbin established a factory at Mennecy, south of Paris, in 1749.
Whereas smoking was seen as the habit of the working classes, snuff taking was purely the preserve of the Aristocracy. Snuff was scented with a wide variety of single or complex aromas and flavours, which could include flowers like jasmine, frangipane or musk roses. Heavier scents used musk or ambergris. Taking a pinch of snuff developed into a graceful art and snuffboxes became the latest luxurious accessory. They could be made from hardstones such as onyx or jade or studded with gems, formed from lacquer, tortoise shell or porcelain. Wearing an exquisite snuffbox became the ultimate symbol of fashion and elegance of the age.

Marks:  The silver mount is marked with a shell (coquille), the Paris poinçon de décharge mark in use between 1756-62.