Tobacco box
Unknown Artist
An oblong box with rounded ends. The lid is engraved with a rebus in which small animals and figures interlace with the text of Isaiah II:6-9. Inscribed: Iesaias II, v 6-7-8-9 / De [wolf] sal met het [schaap] verkeeren en [de panter] bij den [bok] nederleggen en her [kalf] en de ionge [leeuw] en het rnest [vee] te saemen salse een klijn [jongen] drijve de [koe] en de [berin] sulle saemen wijde hare ionge sulle te saemen needer leggen en de [Ieeuw] sal stroo eten gelijk de [rund] en her stof sal de spijse der [allerlaagste] sijn sij en sulle geen qaat doen nog verderven op mijn hijlige berg spreekt de here (The [wolf] shall dwell with the [Iamb], and [the panther] shall lie down with the [goat]; and the [calf] and the young [lion] and the [fatling] together; and a little [child] shall lead them; and the [cow] and the [bear] shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the [lion] shall eat straw like the [ox]; and dust shall be the food for the [lowest of all] and they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain saith the Lord).
The underside shows a similar rebus incorporating the text of Jeremiah 8:6-7. Inscribed: Ierernias 8 v 6-7/ de [Heere] spreekt ik hebbe geluijstert en toegehoort sij spreke dar niet regt en is / daer en is nimant die berou heeft over sijne booshijt seggende wat hebbe ik gedaen een ijder keert sig om in sijne loop gelijk een onbesuijst [paard] in den strijt/siet selfs een [ooievaar] aen den hemel weet sijne gesette tijt ende een [tortelduif] ende een [kraanvogel] en de [zwaluw] nemen den tijt haerer aenkomste waer maer mijn [volk] en weet het regt des heere niet (The [Lord] speaks; I hearkened and heard but they spake not aright; / no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? Every one turned to his course, as the [horse] rushes into the battle. Behold, the [stork] in the heaven knows her appointed times; and the [turtle] and the [crane] and the [swallow] observe the time of their coming; but my [people] know not the judgment of the Lord).
The rims are lined. The front side and rounded ends are decorated with leaf scrolls; the back side has geometrical ornament.
See the text, above, for a discussion of a source for this box's engravings. J. de Kleyn, "Een koperkwarter tabaksdozen," Antiek 10 (1976) pp. 1011-1012, 1014, figs. 3, 4, illustrates a brass tobacco box from the collection of Het Nederlands Openluchtmuseum, Arnhem, which has on its underside a rebus of Jeremiah 8:6-7. J. de Kleyn, "Een koperen tabaksdoos versierd met parelmoer,"Bijdragen en mededelingen van het Nederlands Openludumuseum 35 (1972) pp. 24-27, describes a similar box, its lid inlaid with mother-of-pearl, which carries a rebus based on plate 17 of the Kleine Print-Bybel. F. Vanden Bergh, "Een zilveren Antwerpse snuifdoos (1764) met een 'bijbels' deksel in parelmoer," Anliek 20 (1985) pp. 77-79, describes and illustrates a silver snuffbox with a mother-of-pearl cover engraved with a rebus based on plate III of the Kleine Print- Bybel.
Credit: Gift of C. Gustave Mourraille, in memory of his sister, Miss M. Mathilde Mourraille, 1957