Antique French Horn Snuff Box – Lord Byron’s Mazeppa Scene

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An antiqu, circa 1830, French snuff box, finely carved from cow horn, depicting a dramatic scene from Lord Byron’s Mazeppa. … Read more An antiqu, circa 1830, French snuff box, finely carved from cow horn, depicting a dramatic scene from Lord Byron’s Mazeppa. The lid shows Mazeppa tied to a wild horse, the pivotal moment from Byron’s narrative poem of 1819, where Mazeppa is punished for his forbidden love affair with Countess Theresa. The horse gallops across a landscape with hunting dogs in pursuit, capturing the intensity of Romantic-era imagination. This small but highly detailed box exemplifies 19th-century French craftsmanship in horn, with crisp relief carving and a polished interior. The hinge is intact and the box opens smoothly.

COLLECTOR'S NOTE:
Byron’s Mazeppa (1819) was based on the legend of Ivan Mazepa (1639–1709), later Hetman of Ukraine. The poem was swiftly translated into French, sparking a wave of artistic responses—from paintings and engravings to decorative objects like this snuff box. Its popularity in France during the first half of the 19th century reflects both the fascination with Romantic literature and the era’s taste for dramatic historical subjects.

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