Similar boxes carry sentimental mottos but the inscription to this example reads Sige of Namvr [sic] 1697– a reference to a key event of the Nine Years War.
The Siege of Namur in the Netherlands, which resulted in its recapture by the Grand Alliance in 1695, is viewed as William III’s most significant military success.
It also brought to an end the era when the taking and holding of fortifications was the dominant form of warcraft. Such was the massive firepower available by the late 17th century that direct confrontations became preferable to siege warfare.
The date of 1697 to the box references the end of a financially crippling conflict and the signing of the Treaty of Ryswick in September 1697.
Estimated at just £50-100 at the April 23 auction, it took £2500 from an online bidder (plus 20% buyer’s premium inc VAT).