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Lot Essay
Charles Le Bastier was renowned for his lavish boxes and was one of the principal goldsmiths of both the Louis XV and Louis XVI periods. Le Bastier attained the maîtrise in 1754, when he was sponsored by Jean Moynat. He worked for Garand and Granchez of the Petit Dunkerque and established his own shop on the rue Thévenot where he worked until his death in 1783. By 1774 Le Bastier had risen to the prominent rank of ninth in his guild (S. Grandjean et al., Gold Boxes and Miniatures of the Eighteenth Century, The James A. de Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor, London, 1975, p. 330).
The international appeal of Le Bastier's work is evinced by his trade card which was printed in both French and English with the words 'Le Bastier "Makes and Sells Alls [sic] sorts of Golden Boxes and others - toys in the Newest fashion"' (H. and S. Berry-Hill, Antique Gold Boxes: Their Lore and Their Lure, London, 1960, p. 202).
For a discussion on Le Bastier's mark, see S. Grandjean et al., op. cit., pp. 146-147. The Louvre owns thirteen boxes by this maker (see S. Grandjean, Les tabatières du musée du Louvre, Paris, 1981, pp. 121-128, nos. 138-150). Further examples of his work can be found in The Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The international appeal of Le Bastier's work is evinced by his trade card which was printed in both French and English with the words 'Le Bastier "Makes and Sells Alls [sic] sorts of Golden Boxes and others - toys in the Newest fashion"' (H. and S. Berry-Hill, Antique Gold Boxes: Their Lore and Their Lure, London, 1960, p. 202).
For a discussion on Le Bastier's mark, see S. Grandjean et al., op. cit., pp. 146-147. The Louvre owns thirteen boxes by this maker (see S. Grandjean, Les tabatières du musée du Louvre, Paris, 1981, pp. 121-128, nos. 138-150). Further examples of his work can be found in The Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.