Gold Boxes, Silver and Ceramics

A small gold snuff box, Peter Johan Ljungstedt, Stockholm, 1785,

VAT reduced rate

Auction Closed

November 10, 04:38 PM GMT

Estimate

3,000 - 5,000 GBP

Lot Details

Description

A small gold snuff box, Peter Johan Ljungstedt, Stockholm, 1785,

oval, polished gold, the lid centred with an oval panel engraved with trophies of love on a sablé ground, mirrored on the base by a musical trophy centred with a mandolin, the outer borders engraved with stars on a similar ground, the sides with garland borders above small oval medallions with trophies of harvest and gardening, maker's mark, fully hallmarked for 18ct gold, in original tooled red leather case

5.9cm., 2¼in. wide

(2)

On 7 April 1778, Peter Johan Ljungstedt became a master goldsmith in Stockholm. He is equally renowned for his work in silver, his masterpiece being a coffee pot. Ljungstedt died in 1804.

From the second half of the 18th century, the nature of the masterpieces that had to be submitted by goldsmiths and silversmiths changed, following new rules set out by the goldsmith's guild in Stockhom. While a silversmith had to produce a coffee pot as a master piece, a goldworker a gold (snuff) box, and a jeweller pieces of jewellery set with gemstones (Catherine the Great & Gustav III, Nationalmuseum and State Hermitage Museum, Stockholm and St. Petersburg 1998-99, p. 550).