Lot 24
  • 24

An Austrian Imperial diamond-set gold and enamel presentation snuff box, C.F. Rothe & Neffe, Vienna, late 19th century

Estimate
10,000 - 15,000 GBP
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Description

  • An Austrian Imperial diamond-set gold and enamel presentation snuff box, C.F. Rothe & Neffe, Vienna, late 19th century
  • gold, enamel, silver, diamonds
  • Width 9.5cm., 3 3/4 in.
of cartouche form, the lid applied with an oval blue enamel plaque applied with the rose diamond-set crowned cipher of Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria and Apostolic King of Hungary (reigned 1848-1916), within a rose diamond petal frame, the matted ground set with six collet-set brilliants within further rose diamonds, the base and bombé sides engraved with foliage, makers' mark, Vienna control marks for 1872-1922

Provenance

The property of a Gentleman, Sotheby's, 25 November 1968, lot 118;
Christie's Geneva, 10 May 1983, lot 34

Condition

Pins loose; blue enamel restored. Otherwise good condition and impressive. Weight: 185.5 gr. For all sales which take place on or after 1 February 2015, please note that the rate of buyer's premium for each lot (charged as a percentage of the hammer price achieved for that lot) has been revised and shall be calculated at the thresholds set out below: Buyer's premium is 25% of the hammer price up to and including £100,000; Buyer's premium is 20% of the hammer price on any amount in excess of £100, 000 up to and including £1,800,000; Buyer's premium is 12% of the hammer price on any amount in excess of £1,800,000. As stated above, the revised thresholds are effective as of 1 February 2015.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

Christian Friedrich Rothe (born 29 July 1817 in Altenburg, Saxony) was apprenticed as a goldsmith in Vienna in 1834 and set up business in 1844. He was appointed Court Jeweller and Goldsmith to Franz Joseph in 1855 supplying Empress Elisabeth with the diamonds for her coronation as Queen of Hungary in 1867 and becoming Jeweller to the Shah of Persia in 1873 and to the Emperor of Brazil in 1874 (following the ill-fated Vienna International Exhibition of 1873). Rothe took his two nephews Anton Otto Gerbitz and Heinrich Emil Rothe into the firm (which at its peak employed some 60 workers) in 1850 and 1867. The business continued through five generations of the family under the name 'zum Nibelungenhort' at 7 Kohlmarkt until its closure in 2005.