A gold and enamel boîte-à-mouches, perhaps French, 19th century in earlier taste

Property from an important European private collection

A gold and enamel boîte-à-mouches, perhaps French, 19th century in earlier taste

rectangular, enamelled in translucent dark blue over striped engine-turning, the lid centre and borders decorated with oval panels of opalescent pale pink agathe arborisé enamel within opaque white beads, the borders further ornamented with polychrome enamel garlands, the interior fitted with two matching lidded compartments, with gold-mounted brush, French prestige marks including partially rubbed maker's mark L[?], charge and discharge marks of Julien Alaterre, and date letter for 1770

6.2cm., 2⅜in. wide

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