Lafayette Snuff Box with Relief Portrait Medallion
France, circa 1824 - Diameter: 3¼ inches
 
Centered with a gilt brass relief medallion, this circular snuff box presents Lafayette in bust-length profile within a molded surround. The crisply modeled likeness corresponds to a sulphide example in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and relates closely to the bronze bust offered elsewhere in this catalog, underscoring the circulation of a standardized portrait type during his American visit.
 
The medallion is set within a dark, finely turned case, forming a restrained and refined presentation. Objects of this type served both as practical accessories and as expressions of admiration for one of the last living figures of the American Revolution.
 
Exhibited: Bienvenue au Général Lafayette, The Cabildo, April 9, 2025 – January 18, 2026 (commemorating the 200th anniversary of Lafayette’s visit to Louisiana).
 
Condition: Excellent; minor expected surface wear.