PROBABLY STOCKHOLM, CIRCA 1780, LATER STRUCK WITH TWO FRENCH IMPORT MARKS

Gold boxes made in Stockholm in the eighteenth century were particularly susceptible to the strong influence emanating from the goldsmiths of Paris. The high quality of their execution, the equal of many French boxes, show that the goldsmiths working in Sweden were clearly outstandingly skilled craftsmen. The use of basse taille enamels appears to have been popular in Stockholm during this period. Other examples of gold boxes which utilise the technique include boxes by Frantz Bergs, goldsmith to the King, Frederick Fabritius and Anders Zachoun. The process involves chasing or engraving metal in low relief and then applying translucent enamels to the design to produce a richness and subtlety of tones.