The rarity and value of this snuff-box lie in its use of genuine Japanese lacquer, a material that was exceptionally prized in 17th- and 18th-century Europe. Japanese lacquer was first imported by the Portuguese and later by the English, Dutch and French East India Companies. By the 1720s, demand in Paris had grown considerably, with the exclusive trade in luxury lacquer objects controlled by the Marchands Merciers.

These dealers played a crucial role in making Japanese lacquer available to European craftsmen. They not only imported complete objects but also supplied small sections of lacquer, cut from larger Japanese panels or objects, allowing precious fragments to be mounted onto new European luxury objects. The compact format of the snuff-box was particularly well suited to this practice, enabling craftsmen to make use of small, highly decorative pieces of an otherwise scarce material.
The difficulty of obtaining authentic lacquer led European varnishers to develop sophisticated imitations, culminating in the celebrated Vernis Martin of the Martin brothers. Yet even the finest European imitation could not equal the status of the original Japanese material.

For another gold-mounted lacquer snuff-box by Charles-Jean-Baptiste Clerin also dated 1750 see Property of a Gentleman Removed from a Scottish House, Christie's, London, 30 May 2012, lot 45.