The "program" of the decoration on this box is the tale of Cupid and Psyche, by the author Apuleius (2nd cent. A.D.). Psyche was a maiden so beautiful that Venus even envied her. Cupid, sent by his mother Venus to arouse Psyche's love in some ugly being, fell in love with her himself. He had her brought to his palace but she was forbidden to set eyes on him. Fearing he may be a monster, she yielded to her curiosity, and, armed with a dagger, one night took an oil lamp and gazed on him as he lay asleep. But a drop of hot oil fell on him (scene on the lid) so that he awakened and left her angrily. In order to win him back, Psyche was asked to perform apparently impossible tasks by Cupid's mother: When she had to go to Hades, Psyche tamed the many-headed janitor dog Cerberus with the help of cakes (scene on the right hand side panel), and in Hades Proserpina gave her a casket reputedly containing a beauty cream, which she disobediently opened (scene on the left-hand side panel); the casket released a sleeping poison and Psyche immediately fell asleep. At this moment, reconciled Cupid reappeared, awakened Psyche (scene on the front wall), and flew to the Olympus (scene of the base) in order to ask for Jupiter's consent for their love.
The scene depicted on the rear wall may represent Psyche's rescue from the waters when carrying out Venus' order to cut some wool off the wild Sheep with the Golden Fleece grazing near a broad river.

Clare Le Corbeiller (see above) mentions a gold box by C. de Villers similar to the present one, in the Metropolitan Museum, New York. Another box by this goldsmith, in a similar technique, was in the Ortiz-Patiño Collection, part III sold in our London rooms, 26 June 1974, lot 20.