A group of three gold snuff boxes, Hanau or Geneva, early 19th century,

Property of an Italian private collection

A group of three gold snuff boxes, Hanau or Geneva, early 19th century,

the first, Souchay & Colins, Hanau, circa 1815, rectangular, decorated with a clasp-shaped ornament chased with an flower basket within elaborate plumy and leafy scrollwork on a finely matted ground surrounded by engine-turning, the curved sides and base similarly decorated, maker’s mark, Hesse lion mark, rubbed control mark imitating the Paris moyenne garantie d'or 1798-1809, 7.9cm., 3 1/8 in. wide; the second of similar date, for the Ottoman market, rectangular with rounded corners and scalloped rims, the lid decorated with a stylised geometrical tulip around complicated engine-turned patterns resembling opening flower petals, centred with a blank armorial cartouche within an oval, on a sablé ground chased with floral foliage, the base similarly decorated, apparently unmarked, 7.9 cm., 3 1/8 in. wide; the third, probably Hanau, circa 1815/1820, rectangular, the lid chased with goats, sheep and rams on a rockery next to a lake, within rose gold frame, each top corner decorated with a sheperd's crook and a vase on matted ground, within chased circle and arch border, the chased and engine-turned underside similarly decorated, polished thumbpiece and curved sides, marks partially illegible, but one probably a Hanau prestige mark imitating the charge mark of Alaterre, the rim numbered: 6, 8.1cm., 3 1/8 in. wide

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