A gold-mounted specimen hardstone snuff box, Dominicus Dudeum, Vienna, 1794

rectangular with cut corners, the lid and base inlaid with green quartz and lapis lazuli lozenges within narrow gold cloisons on a quartz core, the sides striped with different brightly-coloured hardstones, the gold mounts numbering the 20 hardstones within plumy scrolls on a matted ground, maker's mark, town standard mark and date, in a later red leather case

Possibly formerly in the collection of D.C. Marjoribanks, Esq. and exhibited at the Special Loan Exhibition at the South Kensington Museum in 1862. No. 4406 is described as an 'oblong box of lapis lazuli and green marble in lozenge compartments on the lid, specimens of agate on the sides, mounted in gold.' This description, however, would also fit a box included in a sale at the Galerie Charpentier, Paris, 19-20 December 1949 as lot 59. It is illustrated by Alexis Kugel, Gold Jasper and Carnelian, Johann Christian Neuber at the Saxon Court, London, 2012, no. 191. The box, which appears to be almost identical in form and decoration to the present example, is described as 'Dresden or Vienna, dated 1795'. Curiously the top of the lid is said to be a replacement. The present Hoffenreich box has certainly spent time in the UK since its leather case appears to be English and it is accompanied by an early 20th century typed list of the hardstones used in the box.

Two vertical panels cracked on right side and back but otherwise good condition with minor nicks; lid above not quite flush, small portion of stone lacking on right side.horizontal lift to top mount at top front left. lid lining cracked. back right side lining also cracked reflecting the cracked panels on the exterior. marks fine.
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Dominicus Dudeum specialised in Galanteriewaren and was active from around 1760 until 1803. He is registered in 1782 at Josefstadt, Kaiserstrasse 97 and in 1803, at Josefstadt 31. It is probable that he was the father of Anton Dudeum, also known as a gold box maker, and who was registered with his wife Elisabeth at Josefstadt 31 from 1798-1824. Both Dominicus and Anton were known for creating snuff boxes of gold-mounted hardstones. 

Specimen hardstone boxes, and especially those where the stones were numbered and listed in an accompanying booklet, were the speciality of Johann Christian Neuber of Dresden, who worked from the 1760s to the 1790s. Various Vienna gold box makers seem to have taken up the idea just at the time when Neuber was going out of business as his objects were no longer considered fashionable in Dresden. Apart from boxes by the Dudeums, a numbered circular box by J.G. Aignier, Vienna 1793 was sold Christie’s New York, 5 October 1979, lot 248 and an unnumbered specimen box, maker’s mark of J.G. Schmidt, Vienna, 1805, the lid with a butterfly and the sides very similar to the present example, was included, Sotheby’s Geneva, 15 November 1995 lot 419.