A George III powder blue ground enamel snuff-box

BIRMINGHAM, CIRCA 1765

Details
A George III powder blue ground enamel snuff-box
Birmingham, circa 1765
Of rectangular form, the cover with an asymmetric cartouche printed and painted after Ravenet with Clytie and Apollo reserved in raised white scrolls with shells, flowers, foliage and dotted ornament, the waisted sides with three similarly reserved flower posies, the fourth side printed and painted after Ravenet with three putti playing with a caged bird, the base with a small trellis panel, with engraved gilt-metal mounts and shaped thumbpiece
3¼in. (8.4cm.) wide

Lot Essay

This box is an interesting example of the Birmingham factory re-using copper plates originally engraved at the Battersea works and dispersed when the latter factory closed down in 1756. See B. Watney, "Petitions for Patents concerning Porcelain, Glass and Enamels with special reference to Birmingham, 'The Great Toyshop of Europe' ", English Ceramic Circle Transactions, 1966, p. 68 and pls. 61 (d) and 85 and E. Mew, Battersea Enamels, 1926, figs. 31 (2) and 52

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