The West Highland Museum has added to its already extensive collection of Jacobite artefacts with the purchase of a hidden portrait snuff box.
The Fort William museum bought the rare mid-18th century circular box with a compartment revealing a portrait of Charles Edward Stuart, Bonnie Prince Charlie, for £9,750 at auction in Edinburgh earlier this month.
The box has an enamel tartan decoration with a hinged cover which opens to reveal a plain interior. But inside a second, concealed double lid opens to reveal a finely enamelled portrait of Prince Charles Edward Stuart in tartan jacket with orders of The Garter and Thistle decorations, white cockade and blue bonnet.
The box came up for sale at the Lyon and Turnbull auction in Edinburgh earlier this month and with the financial support of the National Fund for Acquisitions, the Art Fund the museum bought it.
A spokesman for auctioneers Lyon and Turnbull said the boxes were rare in any form. He continued: “This example is in particularly good condition and finely enamelled. The portrait is a variant of the famous Robert Strange example which likely date this piece to circa 1750.”
Museum curator, Vanessa Martin said: “This iconic item will be valuable addition to our Jacobite collection and will soon be on permanent display.
“This is a rare and beautiful object and we do not have anything like it in our existing collection.
“We do currently have a lovely example of a hidden portrait enamel snuff box, unfortunately with a missing hidden lid, on loan to us from William Grant and Sons as part of the Drambuie Collection which is popular with visitors and so we are pleased to have acquired one of our own for permanent display.
“One of the themes running through our Jacobite exhibition is the secrecy and symbols used by the Jacobite’s to show their allegiance to the Stuart dynasty and this hidden portrait piece fits in perfectly with that theme.”
Established as a Jacobite museum since it was established in 1922, The West Highland boasts many unique and unusual objects already in its collection such as the Secret Portrait of Bonnie Prince Charlie and one of the Prince’s teeth.
The snuff box can be viewed in the Jacobite exhibition. Entry to the Museum is free. Opening hours are 10am – 5pm, Monday to Saturday.
