Live Auction 12030OPULENCE .Silver . Gold Boxes . 19th Century Furniture & Works of Art
A FRENCH ENAMELLED GOLD-MOUNTED TORTOISESHELL SNUFF-BOX SET WITH GRISAILLE MINIATURES
Lot 5

A FRENCH ENAMELLED GOLD-MOUNTED TORTOISESHELL SNUFF-BOX SET WITH GRISAILLE MINIATURES

BY ADRIEN-JEAN-MAXIMILIEN VACHETTE (FL. 1779-1839), MARKED, PARIS, CIRCA 1800, THE FLANGE ENGRAVED 'VACHETTE A PARIS', STRUCK WITH THE POST-REVOLUTIONARY UNOFFICIAL STANDARD MARK FOR 18 CARAT GOLD, THE MINIATURES ATTRIBUTED TO JACQUES-JOSEPH DE GAULT (1738-1817)

Closed29 November 2016

Price Realised

GBP 6,250

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A FRENCH ENAMELLED GOLD-MOUNTED TORTOISESHELL SNUFF-BOX SET WITH GRISAILLE MINIATURES
BY ADRIEN-JEAN-MAXIMILIEN VACHETTE (FL. 1779-1839), MARKED, PARIS, CIRCA 1800, THE FLANGE ENGRAVED 'VACHETTE A PARIS', STRUCK WITH THE POST-REVOLUTIONARY UNOFFICIAL STANDARD MARK FOR 18 CARAT GOLD, THE MINIATURES ATTRIBUTED TO JACQUES-JOSEPH DE GAULT (1738-1817)
circular gold-lined dark tortoiseshell box with waisted sides, the cover inset with a chased sablé gold plaque set with six oval glazed miniatures on ivory, finely painted en grisaille on a slate-coloured ground with scenes from classical mythology and playful putti, within a black enamel taille d’épargne outer border

3¾ in. (95 mm.) diam.

Specialist note

Jacques-Joseph de Gault specialised in painting scenes which emulated the Neoclassical fashion for hardstone cameos. De Gault's style developed through his work as a porcelain painter at the Sèvres factory from 1758 to 1760, and by 1777 he was exhibiting paintings imitating cameos at the Académie de Saint-Luc. Miniatures signed by and attributed to De Gault feature on other boxes made by such notable Parisian goldsmiths as Jean Ducrollay (fl. 1734-1761), Charles Ouizille (fl. 1771-1830) and Adrien-Jean-Maximilien Vachette (fl. 1779-1839). The artist's most impressive commission was perhaps that of the jewel cabinet at Versailles for Queen Marie-Antoinette, partly illustrated in C. Jeannerat, 'De Gault et Gault de Saint-Germain', Bulletin de la Société de l'histoire de l'art français, 1835, opp. p. 224.