A Russian gold snuff box set with cast-paper cameos, Probably Théremin Brothers, St. Petersburg, the cameos possibly by Empress Maria Feodorovna, circa 1800

rounded rectangular, the corners chased with laurel wreathes, the panels of diaper centered at the top by a paper cameo of the Triumph of Bacchus and Ariadne, signed Anteros, and on the base by one showing a chariot race in the Circus Maximus, with the architecture of the spina, marked inside base and cover FT script in circle, city mark, and with Cyrillic letter

Hermitage Collection, St. Petersburg (according to a paper inside)
Probably A La Vielle Russia, New York

paper cameo with undulating surface can probably be straightened, otherwise good.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This box should be compared to one by the Théremin brothers, 1796, with a miniature of the composer Glinka, now in the Hermitage and illustrated in St. Petersburg Jewelers, 18th-19th centuries, no. 81, p. 100. 

Pierre Etienne Théremin arrive in Russia in 1793, to be joined two years later by his brother Francois Claude.  The two crafsmen were members of the Guild of Foreign Goldsmiths and Jewelers; in 1800-1801 Pierre Etienne Théremin was Alderman of the Guild.  The partnership was most active during the reign of Paul I and worked extensively for the Imperial family.  A snuffbox by Pierre Théremin, 1799, set with a copy of a cameo portrait of Grand Duke Alexander Pavlovich (later Alexander I) carved by his mother Maria Feodorovna, is also in the Hermitage, illustrated ibid., no. 82, p. 100).

Catherine the Great was an enthusiast of the late 18th century fashion for making paper cameos, and passed it on to her daughter-in-law.  Under the supervision of her professor Karl Lebrecht, Maria Feodorovna cast cameos from examples in the Hermitage and used them to decorate frames and fire screens, such as examples at Pavlovsk (see Adeliada Yolkina, The Crowned Artist: the Creative Legacy of Empress Maria Feodorovna, nos. 57, 60, 61), and personal accessories such as a watch chain for her husband Grand Duke Paul and a parure of paper cameos set in gold for her eldest daughter, now in the Hermitage (ibid., no. 58).