Snuffbox with a micromosaic of "The Lucano Bridge"
Snuffbox with a micromosaic of "The Lucano Bridge"
Russia, Saint Petersburg
Circa 1825
Pierre-Étienne Theremin
Gold, enamel; micromosaic, enamel, relief, chasing, engine-turning (guilloché)
1.8 x 9.3 x 6.95 cm, 206 g
Stamped mark on the interior surfaces – manufacturer's mark of Pierre-Étienne Theremin (“PT”); mark of St. Petersburg assay master Alexander Ilyich Yashinov (“AYa” / «АЯ»); St. Petersburg city mark depicting crossed anchors
Flat gold box with rounded corners, featuring a hinged lid. A plaque enclosed in the chased gold frame is set in the lid top. Executed in the polychrome micromosaic technique, the plaque depicts the Lucano Bridge (Ponte Lucano) – a stone bridge over the Aniene River in the Roman countryside, dating back to the 1st century BC. The plaque is surrounded by wide enamel frame adorned with golden acanthus branches intertwined with white and gold ribbons against dark blue background. The side surfaces of the snuffbox are decorated with narrow dark blue enamel panels in gold frames, bordered by gold floral ornament against white background. The engine-turned, wavy central field of the bottom is enclosed within the engraved floral ornament against a wavy ground.
2482PC706/ДПИ