BY PIERRE-ANDRÉ MONTAUBAN (FL. 1806-1822), MARKED, PARIS, STRUCK WITH THE PARISIAN GOLD GUARANTEE MARK 1798-1809

Details

A FRENCH ENAMELLED GOLD-MOUNTED WOOD AND LACQUER SNUFF-BOX
BY PIERRE-ANDRÉ MONTAUBAN (FL. 1806-1822), MARKED, PARIS, STRUCK WITH THE PARISIAN GOLD GUARANTEE MARK 1798-1809
hexagonal box of gold-lined thuya wood, the cover and base set with panels of Japanese lacquer decorated in coloured takamakie and hiramakie with pine trees on hillsides, within narrow dark-blue enamel frames and polished gold borders, slightly raised scroll thumbpiece
2¾ in. (70 mm.) wide

Provenance

Sotheby's, Geneva, 16 November 1993, lot 77.

Special notice

These lots have been imported from outside the EU for sale using a Temporary Import regime. Import VAT is payable (at 5%) on the Hammer price. VAT is also payable (at 20%) on the buyer’s Premium on a VAT inclusive basis. When a buyer of such a lot has registered an EU address but wishes to export the lot or complete the import into another EU country, he must advise Christie's immediately after the auction.

Further details

For another box by this goldsmith see lot 4.

Brought to you by

Dido Penny

dpenny@christies.com +44 (0)20 7389 2794

Lot Essay

Sourced from an evergreen conifer, Thuya wood is primarily native to the Atlas mountains of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia in north-west Africa. The most desirable parts of the wood are obtained from the burrs that are located underground within the large roots of the tree. Whilst rarely used by English cabinet makers and box makers, Thuya wood tended to be more favoured by their French counterparts, who often used it in conjunction with similar exotic materials such as lacquer.

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