a snuffbox squirrel

the metropolitan museum of art - the jack and belle linsky collection, 1982

This porcelain treasure was designed and made at the Schrezheim factory in Schreizheim, Germany circa 1761-70.  The painter of this object, Johann Andreas Bechdolff, pops up reliably in searches for Schrezheim porcelain - here's a pug snuffbox he decorated.  He didn't only paint the tops of snuffboxes: at the Met page for this squirrel you can see the bottom and inside as well.  Why a critter on your powdered tobacco holder?  Think of it like a cell phone case: you personalize that with something you like, and carry it daily.  Same sort of thing.