A Swiss enamelled vari-colour gold boîte-à-miniatures

GENEVA, CIRCA 1780, THE MINIATURES ITALIAN

Details

A Swiss enamelled vari-colour gold boîte-à-miniatures
Geneva, circa 1780, the miniatures Italian
Oval, the cover, sides and base with aubergine guilloché enamel panels framing miniatures of the King of Sardinia and his five sons on the cover and walls, each wearing blue uniforms with hair en queue, the frosted gold borders decorated with a leaf and berry garland in opaque white and translucent green enamel, the sides enamelled with garlanded white Doric columns, the two miniatures on the cover surmounted by vari-coloured ribbon-ties and Royal Crown
3 5/16in. (84mm.) wide

Provenance

Almost certainly presented to John, Viscount Mountstuart, later 4th Earl and 1st Marquess of Bute (1744-1814) when Minister to Turin in 1779-1780.

Lot Essay

The sitters depicted in the miniatures are Vittorio Amedeo III (1726-1796), King of Sardinia from 1773 to 1796, and his five sons from his marriage with Infanta Maria Antonia of Spain. The heir to the throne, the future King Carlo Emanuele IV (1751-1819) is represented in the miniature next to his father on the cover of the box. His other four sons are portrayed on the side panels of the box: the future King Vittorio Emanuele I (1759-1824) when Duke of Aosta, Maurizio, Duke of Montferrato (1762-1799); the future King Carlo Felice (1765-1831) when Duke of Genevois; and Giuseppe Placido Benedetto (1766-1802), Count of Maurienne.

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