Lot Essay
A box by Strachan with very similar enamelled gold openwork is illustrated in A. K. Snowman, Eighteenth Century Gold Boxes of Europe, London, 1966, colour pl. 490.
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WORKSHOP OF ALEXANDER JAMES STRACHAN, LONDON, CIRCA 1840
Details
A VICTORIAN MOTHER-OF-PEARL AND ENAMELLED GOLD SNUFF-BOX
workshop of Alexander James Strachan, London, circa 1840
Rectangular box, the cover and sides set with mother-of-pearl plaques applied with elaborate repouss scrolling gold openwork enamelled en relief with trailing foliage, flowers and rocaille, the lid furthermore painted with two exotically plumed parrots picking berries and flanking a brown squirrel in the same technique, plain gold base
3 in. (82 mm.) wide
workshop of Alexander James Strachan, London, circa 1840
Rectangular box, the cover and sides set with mother-of-pearl plaques applied with elaborate repouss scrolling gold openwork enamelled en relief with trailing foliage, flowers and rocaille, the lid furthermore painted with two exotically plumed parrots picking berries and flanking a brown squirrel in the same technique, plain gold base
3 in. (82 mm.) wide
Provenance
Sotheby's, London, 10 December 1973, lot 92 (1,850 to A. Mason).