CIRCA 1785

Such hardstone-mounted pieces, reminiscent of Renaissance schatzkammer objects, enjoyed a revived popularity at the end of the 18th century through the impetus of both the marchands-mercier and, more importantly, the htel des Menus-Plaisirs, where the duc d'Aumont himself established a workshop in 1770 specializing in the cutting and polishing of precious hardstones. This celebrated atelier employed none other than Franois-Joseph Belanger (1744-1818) as designer, Pierre Gouthire (1732-1813) as ciseleur-doreur, Augustin Bocciardi (active 1760-90) as sculpteur and Guillemain for giving the hardstones a 'polis ferme et brillant'. At the very end of the 18th century, the duc d'Aumont's legacy was in turn taken up by designers such as Jean-Guillaume Moitte (1746-1810), who supplied objects of this nature to William Beckford at Fonthill.