Unusual, Substantial Pair of (Heavy!) Metal Salesman Sample/Display Loafers with Tassels praying drawing This is an early—very late

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

which I most definitely would be inclined to do

" And on the back

and extra nice that there is a base to squeeze handle

With a big gray sky

Unusual, Substantial Pair of (Heavy!) Metal Salesman Sample/Display Loafers with Tassels praying drawing This is an early—very lateCurious. I don't know that I'd ever seen a pair of metal salesman sample shoes before, but I'm more or less certain that is what these are, given their quality and scale and specificity. (Or maybe a shoe company's gift for the loafer salesman of the year?!) They're quite substantial, beautifully crafted and quite striking, all the more so in hand, with their surface finish evincing carved stone (I keep thinking of catlinite) as much as anything and