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Lot Essay
This extremely beautiful and exquisitely made gold and enamel necessaire with concealed watch is made in Geneva for the Chinese market in the opening years of the 19th century.Such sumptuous European precious objects were without doubt intended for the highest levels of Chinese society.
In the words of Vanessa Brett, former editor of the Journal of the Silver Society:
'The necessaire epitomises the trinkets or baubles that in the eighteenth century were known as toys, things which Samuel Johnson described as 'a thing of more show than use, a petty commodity, a trifle'. Those who could afford these things appreciated the workmanship, technical advances, and new and exotic materials that went into their making. They liked their luxuriousness, femininity and sheer frivolity - they liked them as status symbols.’
Piguet & Capt (active between 1802 and 1810-1811)
Henry-Daniel Capt (1773-1841) and Isaac-Daniel Piguet (1775-1841), two young watchmakers from Le Chenit, a small village in the Vallée de Joux (Canton of Vaud), came to Geneva to work at the beginning of the 19th century. They joined forces on 16 Ventôse of the year X of the Republic (March 7, 1802), under the name of Piguet & Capt, and specialised in the production of prestige timepieces (watches, snuffboxes, bonbonnières, jewellery, etc.), incorporating horological complications (quarter-repeater), and scenes with automata, with or without music. They were among the first in Geneva to use the musical mechanism with pinned cylinder (or planted pins) and tuned vibrating blades. The partnership between Capt and Piguet was dissolved at the end of 1810 or the very beginning of 1811. While Henry-Daniel Capt continued to work alone for a few years, Isaac-Daniel Piguet joined Philippe-Samuel Meylan (1772-1845) in a new partnership.
Henry-Daniel Capt, Isaac-Daniel Piguet and Philippe-Samuel Meylan were the main Genevan manufacturers of miniature automata and music pieces in the first third of the 19th century. Although most of their works are unsigned, they sometimes engraved their names or stamped their trademarks on their movements.
Provenance:
By tradition, the Chinese Emperor's Summer Palace, Peking.
Literature:
Another gold and enamel necessaire in the form of a quiver of arrows is in the Patek Philippe Museum, Geneva, see: ‘The Majesty of the Chinese Market Watch – The Life and Collection of Gustave Loup of Tientsin and Geneva, Watch Dealer and Collector ( 1876-1961), Ian White, 2019, p. 272.
A necessaire of related form was sold by Christie’s Hong Kong, 31 May 2005, lot 2129.
In the words of Vanessa Brett, former editor of the Journal of the Silver Society:
'The necessaire epitomises the trinkets or baubles that in the eighteenth century were known as toys, things which Samuel Johnson described as 'a thing of more show than use, a petty commodity, a trifle'. Those who could afford these things appreciated the workmanship, technical advances, and new and exotic materials that went into their making. They liked their luxuriousness, femininity and sheer frivolity - they liked them as status symbols.’
Piguet & Capt (active between 1802 and 1810-1811)
Henry-Daniel Capt (1773-1841) and Isaac-Daniel Piguet (1775-1841), two young watchmakers from Le Chenit, a small village in the Vallée de Joux (Canton of Vaud), came to Geneva to work at the beginning of the 19th century. They joined forces on 16 Ventôse of the year X of the Republic (March 7, 1802), under the name of Piguet & Capt, and specialised in the production of prestige timepieces (watches, snuffboxes, bonbonnières, jewellery, etc.), incorporating horological complications (quarter-repeater), and scenes with automata, with or without music. They were among the first in Geneva to use the musical mechanism with pinned cylinder (or planted pins) and tuned vibrating blades. The partnership between Capt and Piguet was dissolved at the end of 1810 or the very beginning of 1811. While Henry-Daniel Capt continued to work alone for a few years, Isaac-Daniel Piguet joined Philippe-Samuel Meylan (1772-1845) in a new partnership.
Henry-Daniel Capt, Isaac-Daniel Piguet and Philippe-Samuel Meylan were the main Genevan manufacturers of miniature automata and music pieces in the first third of the 19th century. Although most of their works are unsigned, they sometimes engraved their names or stamped their trademarks on their movements.
Provenance:
By tradition, the Chinese Emperor's Summer Palace, Peking.
Literature:
Another gold and enamel necessaire in the form of a quiver of arrows is in the Patek Philippe Museum, Geneva, see: ‘The Majesty of the Chinese Market Watch – The Life and Collection of Gustave Loup of Tientsin and Geneva, Watch Dealer and Collector ( 1876-1961), Ian White, 2019, p. 272.
A necessaire of related form was sold by Christie’s Hong Kong, 31 May 2005, lot 2129.