Seal in the form of a pug dog

France?

Alice de Rothschild was fond of pug dogs, and owned several, so it is not surprising that she was also keen on models of pugs. This seal matrix would have been used to impress her monogram into the hot wax used to close the envelopes of her letters. As well as this seal, she also had snuffboxes in the shape of pugs.

Earliest Rothschild collector: Alice de Rothschild; b.1847, d.1922

Credit: Waddesdon (Rothschild Family)