BY ALEXANDER JAMES STRACHAN (FL. 1799-1850), MARKED WITH THE ENGLISH POST-1798 STANDARD MARK FOR 18 CARAT GOLD, THE ENGLISH STANDARD MARK FOR GOLD 1798-1974, THE LONDON ASSAY MARK FOR 1798-1821, THE LONDON DATE LETTER 1816/1817 AND THE ENGLISH DUTY MARK FOR GOLD 1798-1821

Alexander James Strachan supplied gold boxes to the royal goldsmiths Rundell, Bridge & Rundell and Wakelin & Garrard. He was referred to as the 'Paul Storr of gold boxes' by Arthur Grimwade (London Goldsmiths, 1697-1837: Their Marks and Lives, London, 1976, pp. 672-73). For a similar vari-colored gold box by Strachan of 1808, also decorated with an acorn and oak leaf border, see C. Truman, The Gilbert Collection of Gold Boxes Volume II, London, 1999, p. 66, no. 39.
For other boxes by this goldsmith see lots 87 and 91.