Snuffbox Depicting Lovers
Snuffbox Depicting Lovers
Russia, Moscow
1769
Silver-gilt; niello
4.1 × 9.2 cm
Marks: Moscow mark; assay masters mark of Alexei Torlov, 1768–1809; dated 1769
Another source of inspiration for porcelain painters, and subsequently niello workers, was the work of the Augsburg-born engraver and miniature painter Johann Esaias Nilson (1721–1788). Nilsons compositions showing the amusements of daily life – dancing, gaming and drinking coffee – were often contained in architectural settings that incorporated rocaille scrolls and foliage.
2833.1-2MC368/ДПИ