A four-piece gold, enamel and hardstone lady's desk set, Charles-Auguste Péret, Paris, circa 1845

A four-piece gold, enamel and hardstone lady's desk set, Charles-Auguste Péret

Paris, circa 1845

comprising a rectangular bloodstone notebook, the lid applied with the gold initials MR or RM in red, opaque white and turquoise enamel, in oval chased gold frame with white and red translucent enamel ropetwist border, framed by a fruity moresque border, fastened by a gold-mounted bloodstone sliding pencil surmounted with a pearl; a small gold, enamel and bloodstone needle case, rectangular, applied with the same initials in similar decoration, with gold bodkin, maker's mark; a gold-mounted bloodstone pin box, similarly decorated, the baluster sides with brightly-enamelled moresque openwork borders, gold footrim, containing a miniature bloodstone folding knife; a small gold and enamel letter opener, the tapering handle enamelled with matching enamel decoration, also topped with a pearl over intertwined white enamel border 

8.6cm., 3 1/2 in. high; 5.5cm., 2 1/8 in. diameter; 6.6cm., 2 5/8 in. high; 9.7cm., 3 7/8 in high

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