Antique snuff box with agate cameo in gold, circa 1780

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Antique snuff box with agate cameo in gold, circa 1780

€ 7,690.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Description

This description was automatically translated from German. If you have any questions about this piece of jewellery, we will be happy to help!

In addition to our pieces of jewellery from all eras, we are also pleased to present other small treasures to you from time to time - this snuff box is one such find that we liked so much that we wanted to share it with you. Small boxes and caskets with precious decorations were first created in the 18th century to store snuff for an aristocratic audience. They quickly became sought-after collector's items that adorned every castle and apartment and were also given as gifts for special merits. In France, such pieces were called tabatière, in England snuff boxes. Probably the most famous tobacco snuffer of his time was Frederick the Great. A golden, enameled and jeweled snuff box, which he carried in his vest pocket, even saved his life during the Seven Years' War at the Battle of Kunersdorf in 1759 when a stray bullet ricocheted off it. This box is a typical piece from the height of the early tobacco enthusiasm, dating from around 1780. The box is made of tortoiseshell and mounted in gold. The top with the hinged lid shows two panels of gold with a frame of blue enamel. Classic arcanthus tendrils fill the surfaces of the elegantly frosted rectangles. A large portrait medallion made of layered agate is also set in the center of the lid. We see a man in profile, wearing a wig with side curls and a plait typical of the period. He is wearing a skirt, with a three-striped ribbon over his shoulder. He is wearing a cross-shaped medal on his chest. Who exactly is the sitter? The previous owners of the box recognized the sitter as Louis XVI, King of France. He wore the same type of wig and always wore the Order of Saint Esprit, which is also in the shape of a cross, but on a plain light blue ribbon. It may indeed be the King of France - but the depiction also resembles other high-ranking figures of the time, such as the Vice-Admiral of France under Louis XVI, Pierre André de Suffren, , see here, or the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, Charles Alexander of Lorraine, , see here. Unfortunately, the attribution has not yet been completely clear. Boxes like this were popular collector's items in the 18th century and were often given as gifts, as souvenirs or as an award for loyal service. We discovered the box in Geneva.

Size & Details

Royal gift

€ 7,690.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Our Promise

We want you to be 100% satisfied! For that reason, we examine, describe and photograph all of our jewellery with the utmost care.

You can rely on our years of experience in the trade and our expertise as a professional art historians for reviews of the antique jewellery. As a member of various trade organisations and the British Society of Jewellery Historians, we remain committed to the highest possible degree of accuracy. In our descriptions, we always also indicate any signs of age and defects and never hide them in our photos – this saves you from any unpleasant surprises when your package arrives.

Should you for some reason not be satisfied, please don’t hesitate to contact us so that we can find a solution together. In any case, you can return any article within one month and we will refund the full purchase price.

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