A 19th century Scottish burl wood snuff box with an integral hinge. The lid is decorated with pen work decoration of a dog and a  clasped hands below a scroll "for auld lang syne'.
The base of the snuff is made from burr wood. Burrs  occur on many trees, most commonly at the junction of the trunk with the ground or root.  
They are caused by a number of small shoots which are unable to break out, and form an interwoven, contorted but unusually stable mass. They can be very ornamental.