HMS Royal George - Sank 1782 - A Late 18th-Century English Antique Treen Carved Snuff Box Made From Ships Timbers in the Form of a Shoe / Snuff Shoe

Late 18th‑Century English Antique Treen Carved Snuff Box in the Form of a Shoe, Made from Timbers of HMS Royal George.

This finely carved treen snuff box, shaped as a miniature shoe, is a rare relic of Georgian England. Crafted from timber salvaged from the wreck of HMS Royal George, which tragically sank at Spithead in 1782, it embodies both folk art charm and maritime heritage. It is decorated in piqué work and bears the name and date "Royal George 1782" with an inscription of "love" on the sliding, removable lid.

The shoe form was a popular motif in 18th‑century snuff boxes, symbolising good fortune and everyday utility. Its provenance is elevated by the material: oak from the Royal Navy’s largest warship of its time, HMS Royal George. Measuring approximately 9 cm in length, this tactile object connects collectors to both domestic Georgian life and one of Britain’s most infamous naval disasters.

A museum‑quality piece, ideal for collectors of tobacciana, maritime relics, and Georgian treenware, it offers a tangible link to the Royal George tragedy, where over 900 lives were lost.

Provenance: England. 18th century. Made from the timbers of HMS Royal George.

Condition: Good. Please refer to the images.

Dimensions: Length 9 cm (3.54 inches)

Background: HMS Royal George (Sank 1782)

HMS Royal George was launched in 1756 as a 100‑gun first‑rate warship, the largest vessel in the Royal Navy at the time.

She served as a flagship during the Seven Years’ War, and later in the American Revolutionary War, stationed to defend Britain and Gibraltar.

On 29 August 1782, while anchored at Spithead near Portsmouth, she was undergoing repairs and resupply. To heel the ship for hull work, her crew shifted cannons — but failed to account for heavy casks of rum on the opposite side. The imbalance caused her to roll too far.

The ship sank suddenly, with around 1,200 people aboard — including crew, soldiers, women, and children. An estimated 900 perished, making it Britain’s worst peacetime naval disaster until the Titanic.

Timbers from the wreck were later salvaged and repurposed into commemorative objects such as snuff boxes, relics treasured for their naval and social history.