Crystal & Gold-lined Vermeil Box & Magnificent Miniature Of A Young Man, Late 18th - 19th Century

Magnificent miniature portrait on a crystal box.

The box is round, in cut crystal typical of the production of Le Creusot. The body is finely striated while the bottom has a grid decoration common for this manufacture.

The box is mounted in double gold on silver, that is to say a thin gold plate assembled on silver.

The manufacture of Le Creusot was born from the transfer of the manufacture of the Crystals of the Queen in order to get closer to the raw materials necessary for the manufacture of crystal: coal, sand and lead. The objective of this manufacture was to counteract the monopoly of the English on the production of crystal in the 18th century.

The main interest of this box lies in the magnificent miniature portrait adorning the lid.

It represents a young man in bust slightly turned to his right.
He is dressed and coiffed in the fashion of the very end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century with a large tie tied under the chin, a high jacket collar and locks of hair falling on the forehead.

The quality of this miniature is absolutely remarkable. The face is very finely represented, in an almost photographic way. The gaze is soft, the lips cut, the locks of hair detailed but the most extraordinary is the complexion, of great beauty and an absolutely charming velvety, sublimated by the pink of the cheeks of the young man.

The miniature is signed at the bottom right with the number AS or SA, I unfortunately did not manage to identify the author who is certainly a talented miniaturist.

The rim is hallmarked:
. Square goldsmith's hallmark barely legible CG (?) surmounted by the word "doublé"

Very interesting crystal box, with a magnificent miniature of a young man, very finely made. It should be noted that this type of Creusot box is rarely decorated with a miniature on the lid.

6 cm in diameter
2.9 cm in height

120.8 grams

Good condition. A small chip on the edge of the lid and a larger one on the inner edge of the body, almost invisible from the outside. Small shocks, oxidation and wear on the hoops. The miniature is in superb condition.

Hand delivery in Paris or insured Colissimo shipping.

France: €15
Europe: €20
World: €35