Snuffbox with the Imperial Eagle
Snuffbox with the Imperial Eagle
Germany, Hanau
The 1840–1850s
Charles Collins & Söhne
Varicolored gold, silver, diamonds; chasing, guilloché, pouncing, guilloché enamel, inlay
2.0 x 9.1 x 6.7 cm
On the lid inner side and bottom of the snuffbox are poorly struck marks: a quality control mark corresponding to 18-karat gold in an oval shield with a "CK monogram", and the firm mark for "Charles Collins & Söhne" in a vertically oriented diamond-shaped shield "CCS"
The snuffbox features a multi-color gold rectangular case with rounded vertical edges and a hinged lid. The center of the lid is decorated with a medallion of blue guilloché enamel, inlaid with a diamond-set double-headed Russian Imperial Eagle in silver settings, surrounded by chased scrolls and diamonds of various sizes on a pounced background. The sides are adorned with rectangular guilloché panels, with raised representations of butterflies at the corners. The bottom is decorated with a guilloché panel featuring repeating geometric patterns, enclosed within chased borders with vegetal patterns.
2276/ДПИ