A RARE GOLD AND ENAMEL SNUFFBOX, JEAN FRANÇOIS XAVIER BOUDDE, ST. PETERSBURG, CIRCA 1780 |

the shallow, circular box of red gold with slip-on lid set with a painted glass view of fisherman on a river in sepia, the sides and base enamelled in a translucent steel blue over a guilloché semé with dots ground, bordered by bands of matted yellow gold chased with scrolling leaves enamelled in translucent green and simulated pearls of white opaque enamel, struck with Boudde's mark, a St. Petersburg assay mark dated 178?, P (Cyrillic) as a date mark for 1780 and 1084 on the flange

Sotheby & Co., London, December 10, 1962, lot 30, illustrated

The box itself in very good condition with only minor surface wear. The painting in the lid with some inevitable air bubbles set under the glass, visible in the catalogue image.
"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."

Gold boxes by Jean François Xavier Boudde (fl. 1769-1785/9) are quite rare; only a handful survive in public and private collections. The greatest number are housed in the Hermitage's Gold Room and include jewelled presentation boxes with portraits of Catherine II, Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich, and Alexander I as a child. Outside of Russia, a gold and enamel box with a view of the Bronze Horseman is in the Gilbert Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum and large gold box with enamel plaques after Boucher is in the collection of the Musée Cognacq-Jay, Paris (inv. J486). For further information, see O. Kostiuk, Peterburgskie iuveliry XVIII-XIX vek (St. Petersburg: Slaviia, 2000), pp. 82-83 and Heike Zech, Gold Boxes. Masterpieces from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection (London: V&A Publishing, 2015), pp. 126-127, no. 45.