Alexandre Raoul Morel (1801–1886) was the son of the marchand bijoutier Gabriel Raoul Morel (c.1766–1832). Following his fathers death he continued the family business at 7 rue des Bons Enfants, registering his first mark – his initials with an ear différent – for la tabatière in February 1833; in December 1849 he re-registered his mark, for la bijouterie, only to relinquish it a year later, in December 1850.
The chased rocaille scrolls that border the lid of this snuffbox are a reflection of the rococo revival of the 1840s. The small reserve in the centre of the lid would have been left vacant when the box left Morels workshop, to be filled in later when the purchaser could have it rendered more bespoke by the addition of initials – in this instance HLK.

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