Wooden box, for tobacco?

I’m unsure about this boxes use, I thought maybe tobacco as it does close tightly. There is some wording I can’t make out, KECNMCW? Which could be an indication where it was made. The front carving is George and the Dragon, the reverse is a Hindu Gandaberunda bird I believe. I like the carvings, even though they are naive. It’s probably a tourist item, and it looks like olive wood. Nearly 4ins diameter 1 inch deep. Any info please?
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It looks like a snuff box.

 

nice box....

 

Russian? It's folk carving for certain, since that back is a double-headed eagle. It's supposed to be a double-headed eagle at least. St George on the front would point straight to Russia or at least part of the Russian empire. Ukraine would be my best guess; Ukranian doesn't use Cyrillic.

 

Thanks, I’ll look at Russian and Ukraine, I’ve been stuck on Asia because of the bird, the Gandaberunda is two headed as well.

 

I just found a similar but older one when I searched using carved Ukraine snuff box. The UK antique shop describes the bird as a Phoenix, there is also similar lettering but they haven’t specified locality. Thanks evelyb.

 

Yes, I think you are right. Because of its size maybe a table snuff box.

 

Agree, double-headed eagle together with St George looks Russian.

The phoenix has one head.
@Figtree3 , can you make something of the name?

 

Though often associated with Russia, the double-headed eagle has been a symbol of empire for a very long time, and has been widely used in the past and today - as I learned when researching a different thread.
Among other things, it was symbolic of the Byzantine and Holy Roman Empires, and is used today in the insignia of about 8 countries, and as a symbol for Mount Athos and the Greek Orthodox Church - which may have some relevance to the St. George motif; also appears as the symbol of various sports clubs, mostly in Greece and Turkey. But I've got no good guesses about this particular box.
See
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-headed_eagle

 

A lot of Dutch towns and villages have the double-headed eagle in their town crest too. I'm sure other European towns and provinces do as well. It is just one of those popular mythical animals, just like the dragon.
But together with St George, Russia is the most likely candidate.

 

I was wondering if these might be 2 sides of some coin?

 

Huntingtreasure, I just checked this out, you are correct there is a Russian coin with the George and Dragon and the double headed eagle on the reverse.

 

The lettering makes me lean towards that conclusion too AJ. Thanks.

 

Word likely to be a place name.

 

Very charming box. Russian Ukraine origine seems likely.
doubleheaded eagle was also crest of habsburg austrian/hungarian empire. Saw it (and St George) a lot in Rumania.