A rare three compartment yellow gold and enamel automaton snuff box with timepiece made for the Chinese market, automaton and timepiece Attributed to Piguet & Capt, Circa 1810
Auction Closed
June 5, 07:33 PM GMT
Estimate
30,000 - 60,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
Case: rectangular with cut corners, the central lid set with a polychrome enamel panel representing two ladies flanking a lad fishing in a pond all, within a mountainous landscape, the sides and base decorated with translucent blue enamel lozenges and engine turned ground, the side compartments decorated with gold foliage issuing from urns . The right compartment concealing two dials one for the hour and minutes the other with seconds dial above. The left compartment features the automaton showing two masons at work against a polychrome landscape. The central interior lid applied with vari-color gold foliage at the corners.
Size: 8.2 length x 3.6 width x 1.5 height cm
Accessories: key
The present lot is a testament to the craftsmanship of the Geneva Fabrique of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Piguet & Capt were pioneers in the creation of snuff boxes combined with music, automaton and watches as evidented with the current example.
Isaac-Daniel Piguet (1775-1841) was born in Le Chenit (Vaud) and is said to have moved to Geneva before 1800. He entered into partnership with his brother-in-law Henri Capt, another mécanicien, on 10 February 1802. The firm was active for a short period from 1802 to 1811. Piguet & Capt, however, were the first to make objects that combined automata and music for use in luxury objects, such as snuff boxes, jewelry, and watches.
For two other three compartment boxes with automata and timepiece, see: Alfred Chapuis, Édouard Gelis, Le Monde des Automates, Tome II, p. 47, fig. 316, signed Isaac Piguet, a Genève, now in the David Salomons Collection of Watches and Clocks L.A. Mayer Museum for Islamic Art in Jerusalem. For additional examples of these boxes see Ian White, The Majesty of the Chinese Market Watch, pp.253-255, figs.6.11a-c, 6.12a, and 6.12b.