BY SENÉ & DETALLA (FL. C. 1795-1805), MARKED, GENEVA, CIRCA 1800

Details

A SWISS GOLD AND ENAMEL AUTOMATON SNUFF-BOX
BY SENÉ & DETALLA (FL. C. 1795-1805), MARKED, GENEVA, CIRCA 1800
rectangular with canted corners, the cover, sides and base decorated with fine horizontal reeding and bright-cut engraving of floral vases and trailing foliage, the base engraved with a scene of a harbourside, with a ship and a lighthouse beyond within a circular frame, the cover set with an automaton depicting a water-mill with a running stream and rotating water-wheel, to the left a man sits and catches a fish, to the right a horse lowers his head and drinks from the stream, in the foreground a river-side scene in vari-colour gold depicts a dog and a lamb, the background enamelled with the mill in the foreground and a Swiss mountain scene beyond, in brown leather case stamped 'Bulgari Roma'
3¼ in. (82 mm.) wide

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Lot Essay

The partnership of the Geneva goldsmiths Philippe Sené and Détalla has existed probably since sometime before 1795 until 1805, as by October of that year, Sené had gone into partnership with his brother-in-law Henry Neisser who had come to Geneva from Hanau in 1785/1786. Sené died in November 1807 and Neisser entered a mark on his own account in 1808.

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