A DUTCH FILIGREE AND PARCEL-GILT SILVER TOBACCO BOX, ISACQ SAMUEL BUSARD, THE HAGUE, 1741 |

square with canted corners and panelled sides, applied all-over with ornate silver-gilt filigree ornament, the bun finial with central applied filigree flowerhead

Sotheby's, Paris, 10 April 2008, lot 122

Nice clear marks to underside, cover unmarked. Good heavy gauge. Filigree in good order and possibly gold. No obvious repairs. A nice object in good condition.
"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."

Isaac Samuel Busard, of French Huguenot origin, was born in 1706 and became a master of the Hague silversmiths' guild in 1731. J.W. Frederiks described his work as 'unsurpassed. [Busard was] endowed with a fine taste for ornament.' J.W. Fredericks, Dutch Silver, vol. 2, The Hague, 1958, p. 173. The partial application of gold filigree to Dutch 18th century silver is highly unusual, and is thought to have been influenced by Russian or Dutch colonial models. Busard was one of the few makers who employed the technique though in his case the application always covered the total surface rather than a part as it does here. Normally boxes or caskets such as this were manufactured in and imported from the Dutch colony of Batavia, although one casket with filigree mounts is recorded from 1761 by the Hague goldsmith Christoffel Radijs with the filigree thought to have been made in the Far East