Pair of Mid-Century Stanley Painted Steel Plumb Bobs Trenton Manufacturing creamy salmon-y pink background enhanced

creamy salmon-y pink background enhanced by an irregular greenish brown band

Some aging/rusting to the surface of the tin

This is an early—very late 18th or very early 19th century—French lacquered papier-mâché snuff box

I saw one of these in an instagram post recently and was totally smitten--what could be better than this marvelous icicle font and border

6 1/8" x 6 1/8" x 7/8" each

Pair of Mid-Century Stanley Painted Steel Plumb Bobs Trenton Manufacturing creamy salmon-y pink background enhancedI've got a bit of a thing for plumb bobs beautiful forms, which also always feel good in the hand, and there is something so elemental and true feeling about the act of finding a plumb. These two were made by Stanley c. 1960s or so; the red is No. 170, 5 oz; the yellow No. 171, 8 oz. I love the ribs on them, and the way the paint has hung on just along them, with what looks like some yellow paint to the larger as what I imagine was a happy accident.