Flacon a parfum en pierre dure a monture en or, email et pierres precieuses, dans le gout du XVIIIe siècle

en agate de couleur miel, en forme de berger tenant une de ses chèvres par les cornes et se tenant autour du tronc d'un arbre qui forme le flacon, le col en émail inscrit : A bien faire rien ne craint, le couvercle en forme de fleurs dont le coeur est en diamant, avec une chaîne, la monture du pied en or ciselé

carved in honey-coloured agate as a goatherd suggestively clasping the horn of one of his seated flock around the trunk of a tree which forms the bottle, its enamelled collar inscribed: A bien faire rien ne craint, the chained cap formed as a cone of flowerheads with rose diamond centres, chased gold foot rim

Chip on rim of hat otherwise excellent condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Ce flacon à parfum rejoint l'intriguant groupe d'objets figuratifs en pierres dures dont la date et l'origine restent en discussion. Kenneth Snowman cite quatre exemples: la tête d'une jeune femme, dans la collection Marjorie Merriweather Post, Washington ; une tabatière et flacon à parfum combinés en forme de chasseur et son chien, dans la collection Gilbert ; un flacon à parfum en forme de chasseresse et son chien, au Victoria & Albert Museum; et une autre version où elle est assise, au Museo Lazaro Galdiano, Madrid (Eighteenth Century Gold Boxes of Europe, Woodbridge, 1990, pp. 260 and 270/1), ainsi que d'autres modèles apparus aux enchères depuis les années 1930. Ces objets en pierres dures montrent de nombres similitudes avec ceux en porcelain datant du XVIIIe siècle, notamment les flacons à parfum de la manufacture de Charles Gouyn, dite "Girl in a swing". Ce modèle est d'après le modèle de Kloster Veilsdorf attribué à Eugen Doll (1750-1816), voir  E. Launert, Perfume and Pomanders, Potterton Books, 1987, pl. 221.

This scent bottle forms part of an interesting group of gold-mounted hardstone figural objects whose date and origins have been much discussed. Kenneth A. Snowman cites four examples: a lady’s head in the Marjorie Merriweather Post Collection, Washington; a combined snuff box and scent bottle formed as a huntsman and hound, in the Gilbert Collection; a standing huntress and hound scent bottle, also in the Victoria and Albert Museum; and a seated version in the Museo Lazaro Galdiano, Madrid (Eighteenth Century Gold Boxes of Europe, Woodbridge, 1990, pp. 260 and 270/1) and several other examples have appeared at auction since the 1930s. The hardstone objects bear a close relationship to 18^th century porcelain examples, particularly to the ‘Girl in a Swing’ group of scent bottles. The present example is based on a Kloster Veilsdorf model attributed to Eugen Doll (1750-1816), see E. Launert, Perfume and Pomanders, Potterton Books, 1987, pl. 221.