Tabatiére or Snuff Box Movements 

The word Tabatiére is French for Snuff Box. These general terms are used to describe the smaller, delicate movements of the mid to late 19th century when it was fashionable for gentlemen to carry snuff. Allegedly some carried musical boxes with snuff in a small compartment, like this one on the right.
This box is tiny and would easy fit into a pocket, but others are much too large to carry about. The larger ones, without a compartment for suff are known as Petites Musique's.
These are some of my favourite boxes mainly because of their delicate tunes and all brass movements some of which are approaching 200 years old. One dates to 1810.

The boxes below are arranged with the smallest at the top and Petites Musique's at the bottom.

Rare Tortoiseshell sectional comb snuff box circa 1830

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2/55 Sectional Comb in Tortoiseshell Case with brass cartouche
Serial No. unknown - Circa 1810

Bought at auction October 2024
Very rare
​More information here

2/64 Sectional Comb Tortoiseshell snuff box - circa 1830

A rare sectional comb snuff box in exceptionally good condition for its age.
It plays 2 Airs, one of which is a Ranz des Vaches arrangement found on many surviving musical boxes of the period. The number of teeth per segment gives a rough guide to the movement’s age, which is estimated just pre 1830. The make is unknown but its quality matches that of the finely moulded tortoiseshell case. The actual material was obtained from a turtle called the Hawksbill turtle, so named for the shape of its beak-like head. The term tortoiseshell may seem confusing today but the name ‘tortoise’ was probably used generically because the two species are related. The Hawksbill turtle shell was popular because of its fine colouring. 
Ranz des Vaches? These were mainly tunes played by Swiss herdsmen as they drove their cattle to and from high mountainous pastures. Austrian and German herdsman had a similar tradition. Each valley had a distinctive tune played on the Alphorn, a very long valve-less horn whose bass register echoed across mountain and valley. The exact source of the Ranz commonly arranged for the musical box is uncertain. The arrangements often have a ‘descant trill’, a high pitched trill of two alternating pitches typical of the Swiss yodel. The yodel also combined the vocal falsetto of the ‘head’ and ‘chest’ voices (alternating high and low pitches.) For these reasons, this particular Ranz was probably based on a yodelling tune. Just like the bass notes of the Alphorn, the high-pitched human voice also resonated across mountain and valley; it was used to convey messages, no doubt asking ‘her indoors’ to put the kettle on when the husband came down from the high pastures. The cattle would also respond to certain calls but not to put the kettle on!

Ranz Des Vaches

Tune 2

2/69 Sectional Comb in Ebony case by François Alibert
Serial No 3864 - circa 1830

Bought at auction November 2023
Rare 
​More information here

2/70 A Lecoultre in Tin Box
​Serial No. 12733

​3/70 Georgian Tabatiére in composite box

With Military scene on lid in exceptionally good condition.

4/62 Georgian Tabatiére in composite box

​ Marked “Souvenir du tir federal de Geneve 1851” and depicting a military scene.

4/62 Tabatiére in composite box - Home Sweet Home

Bought at auction (job lot) November 2023
Quite good condition, all working apart from the stop system - easily fixed
Requires a clean & service See restoration diary

4/62 River Scene Tabatiére in composite box

Another nice composite box.
​The main spring broke so it's in the workshop for a full overhaul.
​See it in the workshop

2/59 Tabatiére in butterfly style leather case

Bought at auction March 2023.
A fairly standard movement with brass bedplate.
Ran with difficulty, because it was caked with oil and dust as there is no cover.
Unfortunately there is no tune sheet but both unmistakably Scottish favourites
See the short restoration diary here

Coming Through The Rye

Auld Lang Syne

4/61 Hamburg Tabatiére

Bought via eBay in May 2023, this Hamburg assembled box is in great condition with all its original parts. It has a very unusual spring motor, but otherwise standard tabatiere arrangement in need of a good clean. Four tunes and an original tune sheet.
​More here ...

2/62 in Bow-front Ebony Case

Bought at auction October 2024
As the 4/52 Petites Musique below, made for the American market.

​More information here

4/60 Tabatiére in Birds Eye maple case with delicate diamond inlay

Bought at auction March 2023.
​A lovely inlaid case containing a 60 note movement.
​Intact tune sheet behind a protective cover.
See it in the workshop

​2/68 Tabatiére in oak box inlaid with brass.

Absolutely superb box. Veneered in oak with fancy brass inlay and ebony edging.
Restored December 2023
See it in the workshop

2/58 Paillard in Carved Case

Gifted to me in October 2025 by Harvey Webber.
A small tabatière in an intricately carved case depicting a trunk.
Original tune sheet with two well known tunes.

See it in the workshop

2/72 Ebony & brass case

Bought at Auction October 2023
Superb brass case with ebony veneer with brass inlays and brass bun feet.

3/36 Tabatiére

In original small dark stained oak box. It's been through the workshop and in perfect order

​2/29 Tabatiére

Two tunes to one turn playing Marche Loraine & La Belle Helene.
​No work has been done to this box.

3/57 Burr Walnut

Bought at auction in May 2023 mainly because of the tunes.
Home Sweet Home
My Queen (Waltz)
Rule Britannia
​Fully restored

2/55 in Indian inlaid box

Bought at auction (job lot) November 2023
Case in excellent condition
Movement requires a clean & service

2/36 Chinoiserie scene on papier-mâché case

Bought at Auction October 2023
One tune is from the opera Orphan aux enfers otherwise known as "The Can-can" by Jaques Offenbach

12/37 Two per turn Tabatiére by Charles Ullmann

Rare tabatiére with pristine tune sheet and known maker

2/69 Tabatiére by Ducommun-Girod circa 1843

Rare Tabatiére movement by Ducommun-Girod (Serial No. 17658) in custom made modern case.
​Fully restored June 2025