Sealing-wax case
Sealing-wax case
France, Paris
1776–1777
Le Bastier, Charles
Three-colour gold, enamel
12.7 × 2.6 × 1.5 cm
Marks: maker’s mark; charge mark of Jean Baptiste Fouache (1774–1780); date letter N (1776–1777)
Painted
enamel motifs such as arborisé were
also used to decorate other accoutrements of fashion including étuis-à-cire, seen here. On this etui it
is amusing to note the fly that the enamel painter has included below the
shrubby clod in the lower reserve. This could reference the random painted fly
that may sometimes be seen on Meissen porcelain – decorative, certainly, but
often the means by which the decorators could disguise small firing blemishes.
9467.1-2MC958/ДПИ