BY JOHANN CHRISTIAN NEUBER (1736-1808), DRESDEN, CIRCA 1775/1780, THE ENAMEL MINIATURE GENEVA, CIRCA 1800

Details

A VERY FINE SAXON HARDSTONE AND GOLD SNUFF-BOX SET WITH AN ENAMEL
by Johann Christian Neuber (1736-1808), Dresden, circa 1775/1780, the enamel miniature Geneva, circa 1800
Large oval box, the lid centred by an enamel plaque painted with the evangelist Matthew writing as a child dictates, within an engraved gold mount, the cover and base panels inlaid with a radiating sunburst motif of carnelian plaques surrounded by laurel swags in engraved green bloodstone hung from simulated pearls, the sides similarly inlaid with vertical carnelian plaques hung with bloodstone foliate swags, the base centred by a shuttle-shaped polished gold panel inlaid with a wreath of bloodstone leaves interspersed with forget-me-nots in blue and yellow hardstones, with a border of simulated pearls, the broad polished gold borders similarly inlaid with a garland of engraved bloodstone leaves interspersed with forget-me-nots in blue and yellow hardstones twisted around a string of simulated pearls, the gold rims engraved with scalloped borders
3 3/8 in. (86 mm.) wide

Provenance

The Emile Wertheimer Collection, Sotheby's, London, 13-14 July 1953, lot 279 (£850 to Weinberg, The Antique Porcelain Co. Ltd, London).
With The Antique Porcelain Co. Ltd, London.

Special notice

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price plus buyer's premium.

Further details

(SEE FRONTISPIECE FOR ENLARGED ILLUSTRATION OF THE BASE)

Lot Essay

A snuff-box by Neuber with an almost identical hardstone design but centred with an agate cameo is in the Victoria and Albert Museum, inv. M.108-1917 (described in S. Bury, Victoria and Albert Museum. Jewellery Gallery. Summary Catalogue, London, 1982, p. 30, no. 41, illustrated in W. Holzhausen, Johann Christian Neuber, Dresden, 1935, fig. 37).

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