Gold and lapis lazuli snuffbox
Gold and lapis lazuli snuffbox
France, Paris
1785–1786
Maker: Adrien-Jean-Maximilien Vachette
Gold, lapis lazuli; chasing, carving, polishing
Marks: Paris town marks for 1787/1788; tax mark of the fermier général Henry Clavel (1782–1789); maker's mark; marks of the collector and controller Henry Clavel and Jean-François Kalendrin (1782–1789); Paris date letter P85 for 1785–1786; small guarantee mark (petite garantie) for 1838–1846.
An octagonal-shaped gold-framed snuffbox featuring lapis lazuli panels and a hinged lid. Beneath the lid is a tobacco compartment with hallmarks struck on the mirror-polished gold surfaces of the lid and the base. The frame of the lid, featuring polished grooves and a protruding rim, is adorned with a chased border of foliage ornament on a matted background. The vertical edges feature chased fluted columns, and the lower border of the side panels is decorated with a regular pattern on a matted background between dotted tracks. The snuffbox was executed by Adrien-Jean-Maximilien Vachette (1753–1839), one of the most celebrated Parisian gold box makers of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He registered his maker's mark in 1779 and later collaborated with the French jeweler Marie-Étienne Nitot (April 2, 1750 – September 9, 1809), the official jeweler to Emperor Napoleon I and founder of the House of Chaumet.
3253MC471/ДПИ