A four-colour gold snuff box

Charles Le Bastier, charge mark of Eloy Brichard, petite vache discharge mark for export, Paris, 1761, the rim numbered: 882



rectangular, the lid chased with a hunter resting beside a walled garden and petting his dog, the base with a similar view of a man playing fetch, his dog eagerly awaiting the throw of the stick, the sides with clusters of musical, theatrical and gardening accoutrements on grassy mounds, the grounds finely engine-turned with light-catching waves within borders of entrelacs, the corners chased with rocaille scrolls 

A beautifully made box in good condition. There is a nick to front edge of lid, visible in the catalogue photo. Some minor surface scratches. The left side with split to gold, approx. 5mm. The base with time wear to raised decoration.
"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."

Although Le Bastier is more celebrated for his later production displaying inventive combinations of enamel colours and gold, he continued to exhibit a fondness for chased gold even when it became less fashionable, despite the Paris gold box market being ferociously à la mode.  Indeed, the present lot, from 1761, was made when boxes of this specific type were becoming less in vogue, having been produced for at least five years.  This may explain why it was declared for export when submitted for the discharge mark.  That said, the entwined ribbon borders tentatively portend the neo-classicism, or goût grecque, which would transfigure Parisian design by 1763.

Kenneth Snowman illustrates a page of engravings of "Divers sujets de chasse pour les Tabatières" by Viriclix, one of which, showing a hunter and his dog, is very similar to the decoration of the present lot (Eighteenth Century Gold Boxes of Europe, 1990, p. 58).  It is quite possible that Le Bastier may have used this source, although such models would not have been in short supply at the time.

For other chased coloured gold boxes by Le Bastier chased with similar motifs, all rectangular and dated 1756 or 1757, see Sotheby's London, 1 June 1955, lot 137 (also illustrated, Berry-Hill, Antique Gold Boxes, 1953, pl. 25); Sotheby's Zurich, 23 November 1978, lot 47; and Sotheby's London, 4 July 1983, lot 254.  For an oval example of 1762, its rim numbered: 992, see Grandjean, Les Tabatières du musée du Louvre, 1981, no. 138.  For a discussion of Le Bastier's mark, see Grandjean et al., The James A. Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor: Gold Boxes and Miniatures of the Eighteenth Century, 1975, pp. 146-7.