Live Auction 7800Centuries of Style: Silver, European Ceramics, Portrait Miniatures and Gold Boxes
A GEORGE II GOLD-MOUNTED HARDSTONE BOÎTE-À-DEUX-TABACS
Lot 284

A GEORGE II GOLD-MOUNTED HARDSTONE BOÎTE-À-DEUX-TABACS

CIRCA 1740, THE FLANGE WITH LATER SCRATCHED INVENTORY NUMBER '5470'

Closed17 November 2009

Price Realised

GBP 28,750

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A GEORGE II GOLD-MOUNTED HARDSTONE BOÎTE-À-DEUX-TABACS
CIRCA 1740, THE FLANGE WITH LATER SCRATCHED INVENTORY NUMBER '5470'
Escutcheon-shaped box with two compartments and hinged covers, of semi-translucent sienna, yellow and grey banded agate panels mounted à cage, the gold mounts chased with rocaille, c-scrolls and baskets of flowers on the cover, eight herms on the waisted undulating sides, reeded rims, raised incorporated c-scroll chased thumbpieces; later green velvet presentation case
3 1/8 in. (80 mm.) wide (2)

Christie's, Geneva, 19 November 1970, lot 111.
Sotheby's, Geneva, 17 November 1994, lot 73.

Specialist note

A similarly constructed gold-mounted grey banded agate boîte-à-deux-tabacs, of 1740-1750, was in the Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor. The Waddesdon box is related to the present example in its form, choice of hardstone, and in the chasing of the cagework mounts as herms on both of the box's sides. The melding of French Rococo motifs, popular in the 1740s, on the lid mounts and earlier Baroque figures, in the manner of Daniel Marot (1650-1712), on the sides of the two boîtes-à-deux-tabacs suggest they are of of English origin, made in the 'French taste' (S. Grandjean et al., The James A. de Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor. Gold Boxes and Miniatures of the Eighteenth Century, London, 1975, pp. 36-37, no. 9).