It was a handy place to be if you were hankering for a $19,000 snuff box bearing a picture of Henry Clay, ... which he said dates from the 1830s or 1840s. It was in remarkably good condition.

A pair of singing bird snuff boxes by Frr0065s Rochat sold for US$519,000. Courtesy of Sotheby's ...

Each number on the skull relates to a character trait. For example, number 6 equals the ability to see colour and number 24, good-naturedness. There is a key on the base of the box. Although popular ...