A TREASURY OF VERTU: Important Gold Boxes from a Private Family Collection

A TREASURY OF VERTU: Important Gold Boxes from a Private Family Collection

View full screen - View 1 of Lot 21. A gold-mounted pietra dura portrait snuff box, probably Austrian or German, circa 1770 and later.

A gold-mounted pietra dura portrait snuff box, probably Austrian or German, circa 1770 and later

Auction Closed

December 10, 02:29 PM GMT

Estimate

10,000 - 15,000 GBP

Lot Details

Description

A gold-mounted pietra dura portrait snuff box, probably Austrian or German, circa 1770 and later


circular, composed of smart segments of different hardstones between white chalcedony stripes, coloured gold openwork thumbpiece, elaborately chased red gold mount, the lid later applied with an enamel portrait miniature in the manner of Jean Petitot, 19th century, of a nobleman with dark hair wearing the costume of circa 1680, within a carved bloodstone laurel frame, apparently unmarked apart from later French control marks

7.4cm., 2 7/8 in. diameter

Th Art of the Goldsmith and the Jeweler, A la Vieille Russie, New York, 1968