Snuffbox with a portrait of Maria Letizia Bonaparte (Madame Mère)
Snuffbox with a portrait of Maria Letizia Bonaparte (Madame Mère)
France, Paris
Circa 1810
Master: N. Huguet; Miniature artist: D. Saint
Gold, enamel, ivory (miniature); chasing, matting (pounced work), engine-turning (guilloché), painting, champlevé enamel
1.7 x 8.6 x 6 cm
Master's mark; Paris guarantee mark for gold items for 1809–1819; Paris guarantee mark for 1794–1797
A rectangular gold snuffbox with rounded corners and a hinged lid. The lid is mounted with an oval miniature featuring a portrait of Maria Letizia Bonaparte, the mother of Napoleon Bonaparte, who held the title "Madame Mère de l’Empereur"; the edge of the lid is decorated with a band of floral ornament. The walls and base of the snuffbox are decorated with an engine-turned (guilloché) geometric pattern and bands of floral and geometric ornaments.
1104MC27/ДПИ