This snuffbox has been preserved in an original case covered with shagreen (stingray skin) and is in excellent condition: the chased decor has remained as sharp as it was upon leaving Le Bastier's workshop. The translucent yellow enamel makes a strong impression. Apparently, this color corresponds to the shade that at the time was called «jonquille» ("daffodil"). It was this very word that described the enamel background of a presentation snuffbox given in 1775 to Count Justin de Viry, the minister plenipotentiary of the King of Sardinia. The repeating grainy pattern of guilloche — simple but extremely effective due to the play of light on the surface — first appeared in the mid-1770s and, notably, retained popularity across Europe for over a hundred years. It was used, as in this case, as a base for applying enamel, but also independently, without additional decor.

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