A LOUIS XVI MINIATURES-SET GOLD SNUFF-BOX

BY PIERRE-FRANOIS DRAIS, MARKED AND SIGNED ON THE FLANGE 'DRAIS A PARIS', PARIS, 1768, WITH THE CHARGE AND DISCHARGE MARKS OF JEAN-JACQUES PRVOST AND THE COUNTERMARK OF JULIEN ALATERRE, THE TEN MINIATURES ATTRIBUTED TO JACQUES-JOSEPH DE GAULT

Details

A LOUIS XVI MINIATURES-SET GOLD SNUFF-BOX
by Pierre-Franois Drais, marked and signed on the flange 'Drais a Paris', Paris, 1768, with the charge and discharge marks of Jean-Jacques Prvost and the countermark of Julien Alaterre, the ten miniatures attributed to Jacques-Joseph de Gault
Octagonal box, the cover, base, sides and corners set with glazed miniatures finely painted en grisaille on a light blue ground with playful children parodying Bacchanalian processions, the miniatures on cover and base framed by openwork bands of stylized acanthus alternating with ovolos, the side miniatures by a cagework chased with flutes and stylized acanthus
2.15/16 in. (74 mm.) wide.

Provenance

The Hon. General Sir William Stewart, K.C.B.

Lot Essay

Jacques-Joseph de Gault (c. 1739 - after 1812) specialised in painting grisaille miniatures ' bas-relief'. Several examples of the cooperation between de Gault and Drais are in the Louvre (see S. Grandjean, Les tabatires du muse du Louvre, Paris, 1981, pp. 84-88).

More from Miniatures

View All