A RARE GOLD-MOUNTED ENAMEL SNUFF-BOX

MARK OF PIERRE THEREMIN, ST PETERSBURG, 1800

Details

A RARE GOLD-MOUNTED ENAMEL SNUFF-BOX
MARK OF PIERRE THEREMIN, ST PETERSBURG, 1800
Octagonal, the four sides and base enamelled in translucent royal blue over a guilloché reeded and moiré ground, the cover centred by an allegory of Peace bringing back Abundance after Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun (1755 -1842), within a gold paillon border, the broad polished gold borders decorated with opaque white geometric bands enclosing blue laurels and matted gold reserves, the corners with translucent blue enamelled leaves on reeded rectangles within white enamel borders, bright-cut gold rims, marked inside cover and base, in the original red leather case with J.W. Keibel label
3 3/8 in. (8.5 cm.) wide

Provenance

By repute, a gift from Emperor Alexander II to Lucie Beaumont (1852-1948), née Maison, circa 1870.
By descent to the present owner.

Brought to you by

Aleksandra Babenko

ababenko@christies.com +44 (0)20 7389 2489

Lot Essay

Pierre Theremin flourished between 1793-1801. In 1801 Theremin supplied four gold snuff-boxes to the Imperial Court. The enamelled scene on the cover of the present box is after an inverse print of Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun's oil painting La paix ramenant l'Abondance of 1780, which was her entry piece to the Académie Royale. It was displayed at the Paris Salon after her admittance in 1783. Pierre Theremin re-used this scene for the decoration of another Russian box in the Geneva style, also dated 1800 (see A. von Solodkoff, Russian Gold and Silverwork, Fribourg, 1981, pp. 152-[153], fig. 200). Serge Grandjean (Les tabatières du musée du Louvre, Paris, 1981, no. 526) lists another box, 1799, by P. Theremin in the Hermitage and one in the Louvre. A snuff-box with the same enamelled scene, but different border was sold at Christie's, London, 7 December 2004, lot 73.

More from Russian Art

View All