A gold and enamel snuff box, 19th century in earlier taste

Property of an Italian private collection

A gold and enamel snuff box, 19th century in earlier taste

oval, the lid centred with an enamel plaque painted with Aphrodite holding a quiver with love arrows, flanked by doves and two nymphs, a frolicking putto emerging from a shell, within opalescent bead border and opaque white enamel frame, on steel blue translucent enamel over wavy engine-turning with pellets, within a broad scrollwork border in red, green, white and blue enamel, the sides and base similarly decorated, the sides further embellished with oval dividers of geometrical floral ornaments on a sablé ground, French prestige marks including maker's marks purporting to be that of Louis Charonnat,charge and discharge mark of Julien Alaterre (1768-1774), Paris date letter H,

9.2cm., 3⅝in. wide