Style Paris: Silver, Gold Boxes and Fans
Style Paris: Silver, Gold Boxes and Fans
Applied with the Cipher of Wilhelm II, Emperor of Germany
A jewelled gold and enamel Imperial presentation snuff box, German, circa 1900 | Tabatière impériale de présentation en or, émail, sertie de diamants, Allemagne, vers 1900
Lot Closed
June 1, 03:53 PM GMT
Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 EUR
Lot Details
Description
Applied with the Cipher of Wilhelm II, Emperor of Germany
A jewelled gold and enamel Imperial presentation snuff box, German, circa 1900
of shaped oval form, the lid applied with the rose diamond-set crowned cipher of Wilhelm II, German Emperor from 1888 to 1918, between two larger collet-set diamonds, all frames picked out in dark blue enamel, the ground with scrolling foliage, maker's mark WS or SW in monogram, further struck with post 1884 German Imperial crown mark and: 585, numbered on left rim: 3764, in original crimson plush case applied in engraved gilt-metal with the Imperial cipher, the interior stamped for: H.J. Wilm/ Königl. Hof-Juwelier/ Berlin
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Tabatière impériale de présentation en or, émail, sertie de diamants, Allemagne, vers 1900
de forme ovale chantournée, le couvercle appliqué du chiffre serti de diamants de taille rose de Guillaume II, Empereur d'Allemagne de 1888 à 1918, entre deux diamants de taille ancienne, dans un entourage émaillé bleu, la couronne émaillée rouge, le fond ciselé de rinceaux feuillagés, poinçon d'orfèvre SW ou WS également insculpée du poinçon de la couronne impériale germanique après 1884 et numérotée 585, portant également le numéro 3764 sur la bâte gauche, dans son écrin en velours cramoisi appliqué du chiffre impérial en métal doré, l'intérieur estampé H.J. Wilm/ Königl. Hof-Juwelier/ Berlin
Long. 8,5 cm, 143 g. ; 3 1/3in., 4oz 11dwt
Sotheby's London, 7 June 2005, lot 50
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Sotheby's Londres, 7 juin 2005, lot 50
Son of the author and diplomat William Webb Follett Synge (1826-1891), sir Robert was a distinguished Foreign Office representative who was responsible for welcoming and making arrangements for foreign royalty at the funeral of Queen Victoria in 1901 and at the delayed Coronation of Edward VII in 1902. In the course of his duties, Sir Robert received a number of gifts in appreciation of his services from foreign crowned heads, including the present diamond-encrusted snuff box.
For an extremely similar diamond-set Wilhelm II presentation snuff box, struck with the same unknown maker's mark and numbered with the previous number: 3763, see Sotheby's Geneva, 17 november 1979, lot 121.
Hermann Julius Wilm (1812-1907) was born in Hamburg and trained between 1826 and 1830 with his uncle, the Berlin Court jeweller and goldsmith, Heinrich Wilhelm Ludwig Wilm, junior. On his uncle's death in 1836, he became Bürger, taking over the firm and becoming Court Jeweller in his turn.