In form, use of paillons, enamel ground colour and style of painting, this snuffbox is remarkably similar to a box made by Les Frères Toussaint at the same date. Indeed, the approach to the composition of the landscape painted on the lid – with considerable emphasis being given to the centre foreground – and the execution of it are so similar as to suggest they were both painted by the same artist. This may be seen as evidence of the interconnected nature of the Hanau goldsmiths’ workshops.
Gustave Sandoz (1836–1891) founded his eponymous firm in 1865, with premises in the Palais-Royal. His son inherited the firm, moving it to a new location on the rue Royale in 1895.

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