BY ALEXIS PROFFIT (FL. 1775-1793), MARKED, PARIS, 1786/1787, WITH THE SECOND CHARGE AND DISCHARGE MARKS OF HENRY CLAVEL 1782-1789, LATER STRUCK WITH TWO PARISIAN POST-1838 RESTRICTED WARRANTY MARKS FOR GOLD, THE MINIATURE BY NICOLAS HALLÉ

Details

A LOUIS XVI ENAMELLED GOLD PRESENTATION SNUFF-BOX SET WITH A MINIATURE
by Alexis Proffit (fl. 1775-1793), marked, Paris, 1786/1787, with the second charge and discharge marks of Henry Clavel 1782-1789, later struck with two Parisian post-1838 restricted warranty marks for gold, the miniature by Nicolas Hallé
Oval box, the cover, side and base panels with translucent blue enamel embellished with white enamel dotting and partridge-eyes motives on a ground of engine-turned horizontal reeding interspersed with flowerheads, the cover centred with an oval glazed portrait miniature depicting the duc de Penthièvre facing right in red-embroidered grey silk coat with gold-braided borders, white embroidered lace jabot, wearing the blue sash and breast-star of the French Royal Order of the Holy Ghost and the red badge of the French Royal Military Order of St Louis, the jewel of the Order of the Golden Fleece about his neck, within a fluted gold mount, the frosted gold borders enamelled with translucent green leaves and dark blue beads interspersed with foliate scrolls, the side pilasters similarly adorned
3¼ in. (82 mm.) wide

Provenance

Frederic R. Harris, Rear Admiral U.S.N. Retired (1875-1949), New York; (+) Parket-Bernet Galleries, New York, 18-19 November 1949, lot 233, the sitter misidentified as 'the King of Poland' (USD400).

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis

Lot Essay

Louis Jean-Marie de Bourbon, duc de Penthièvre (1725-1793) was the son of the comte de Toulouse and of Marie de Noailles and thus a grandson of King Louis XIV (see lots 57 and 170) with his mistress Madame de Montespan. He was the Grand Admiral of France and Governor of Brittany. From his marriage to Marie-Thérèse d'Este, he had two children, the short-lived prince de Lamballe, husband of Marie-Antoinette's ill-fated friend, and the future duchesse d'Orléans, wife of the equally ill-fated Philippe-Egalité. Whilst his children-in-law perished during the French Revolution, duc de Penthièvre so was popular that he was not molested by the Revolutionaries despite his extreme wealth.

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