A Louis XV gold and Japanese lacquer snuff box maker's mark poorly struck, almost certainly Pier...
A Louis XV gold and Japanese lacquer snuff box
maker's mark poorly struck, almost certainly Pierre-François Drais, Paris 1771
Rectangular with canted corners, the cover set with a lacquer panel of chrysanthemums on a gold dust ground in a finely chased stiff-leaf gold hinged-mount with draped laurel to the sides and forming the thumbpiece, the sides with cut panels of Japanese lacquer depicting trees and mountains, with fluted pilaster mounts, the base with foliage on a gold dust ground, in later fitted case, length 4.6cm.
Footnotes:
Drais' mark is notoriously poor struck, Nocq includes several facsimiles all showing variances, see page 97, Henry Nocq, Le Poinçoins de Paris VOL II (Paris 1968). Japanese lacquer panels were highly coveted in late 18th century Paris, they were cut into panels to be fitted into exquisite gold snuff boxes.
Literature: Previously attributed to Jean Ducrollay, Paris 1768, see plate 21A, Richard and Martin Norton, A History of Gold Boxes (London 1938).
Condition Report: Generally good used condition. The exterior gold cagework is crisp and good. The interior is gently worn with use; the marks to the sides have a legible charge mark and the date letter, the maker's is less clear. On the base, just the charge mark is visible, the other two marks just show parts of the outline. The marks to the cover are shadows. Some scuffs to the flange from opening/closing.Some wear to the high points of the lacquer on the cover, especially to the edges of the leaves and petals, further wear to the gold dust ground in a tear drop shape to the left of the flowers. Further tiny chip at bottom right.The side panels all show wear to the higher points of the trees and to the backgrounds. The panel to the base has less wear to the gold decoration but it has two bruises, one 4mm at the back and one 7mm within the leaf. A further tiny circular crack to the edge.Case is pretty good, a little dirty and scratched from use.
Estimate
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Time, Location
Auction House
A Louis XV gold and Japanese lacquer snuff box
maker's mark poorly struck, almost certainly Pierre-François Drais, Paris 1771
Rectangular with canted corners, the cover set with a lacquer panel of chrysanthemums on a gold dust ground in a finely chased stiff-leaf gold hinged-mount with draped laurel to the sides and forming the thumbpiece, the sides with cut panels of Japanese lacquer depicting trees and mountains, with fluted pilaster mounts, the base with foliage on a gold dust ground, in later fitted case, length 4.6cm.
Footnotes:
Drais' mark is notoriously poor struck, Nocq includes several facsimiles all showing variances, see page 97, Henry Nocq, Le Poinçoins de Paris VOL II (Paris 1968). Japanese lacquer panels were highly coveted in late 18th century Paris, they were cut into panels to be fitted into exquisite gold snuff boxes.
Literature: Previously attributed to Jean Ducrollay, Paris 1768, see plate 21A, Richard and Martin Norton, A History of Gold Boxes (London 1938).
Condition Report: Generally good used condition. The exterior gold cagework is crisp and good. The interior is gently worn with use; the marks to the sides have a legible charge mark and the date letter, the maker's is less clear. On the base, just the charge mark is visible, the other two marks just show parts of the outline. The marks to the cover are shadows. Some scuffs to the flange from opening/closing.Some wear to the high points of the lacquer on the cover, especially to the edges of the leaves and petals, further wear to the gold dust ground in a tear drop shape to the left of the flowers. Further tiny chip at bottom right.The side panels all show wear to the higher points of the trees and to the backgrounds. The panel to the base has less wear to the gold decoration but it has two bruises, one 4mm at the back and one 7mm within the leaf. A further tiny circular crack to the edge.Case is pretty good, a little dirty and scratched from use.
Estimate
Reserve
Time, Location
Auction House
