CIRCA 1740, THE FLANGE WITH LATER SCRATCHED INVENTORY NUMBER '5470'

Details

A GEORGE II GOLD-MOUNTED HARDSTONE BOÎTE-À-DEUX-TABACS
CIRCA 1740, THE FLANGE WITH LATER SCRATCHED INVENTORY NUMBER '5470'
Escutcheon-shaped box with two compartments and hinged covers, of semi-translucent sienna, yellow and grey banded agate panels mounted à cage, the gold mounts chased with rocaille, c-scrolls and baskets of flowers on the cover, eight herms on the waisted undulating sides, reeded rims, raised incorporated c-scroll chased thumbpieces; later green velvet presentation case
3 1/8 in. (80 mm.) wide (2)

Provenance

Christie's, Geneva, 19 November 1970, lot 111.
Sotheby's, Geneva, 17 November 1994, lot 73.

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

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Rodney Woolley

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Lot Essay

A similarly constructed gold-mounted grey banded agate boîte-à-deux-tabacs, of 1740-1750, was in the Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor. The Waddesdon box is related to the present example in its form, choice of hardstone, and in the chasing of the cagework mounts as herms on both of the box's sides. The melding of French Rococo motifs, popular in the 1740s, on the lid mounts and earlier Baroque figures, in the manner of Daniel Marot (1650-1712), on the sides of the two boîtes-à-deux-tabacs suggest they are of of English origin, made in the 'French taste' (S. Grandjean et al., The James A. de Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor. Gold Boxes and Miniatures of the Eighteenth Century, London, 1975, pp. 36-37, no. 9).

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