The Collection of a Connoisseur 掌上的百年風華: 鐘錶及裝飾藝術收藏
The Collection of a Connoisseur 掌上的百年風華: 鐘錶及裝飾藝術收藏
A GOLD, ENAMEL AND PEARL MUSICAL SNUFF BOX, RÉMOND, LAMY, MERCIER & CO., GENEVA, 1815-1820, THE MOVEMENT ATTIRBUTED TO PIGUET & MEYLAN,
Auction Closed
July 14, 12:35 PM GMT
Estimate
50,000 - 70,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
A GOLD, ENAMEL AND PEARL MUSICAL SNUFF BOX, RÉMOND, LAMY, MERCIER & CO., GENEVA, 1815-1820, THE MOVEMENT ATTIRBUTED TO PIGUET & MEYLAN,
rectangular, the lid inset with an enamel plaque painted with Telemachus explaining the questions of Minos, within a gold leaf and half pearl border, the sides and base enamelled in translucent blue over lozenge patterns, within lighter blue and duck egg taille d'épargne vine leaf scrollwork, the sur plateau movement playing two tunes, attributed to Piguet & Meylan, interior of lid with maker's mark R between two pellets in a horizontal lozenge, unofficial 3e titre, Geneva post-1815 town mark, left rim with French departmental 3e titre, Léman garantie for 1809-1819, the movement struck with serial number 808, the inside of the rim of the base of the box engraved with the same serial number, with associated key enamelled in translucent blue with paillon ornament
8cm., 3⅛in. wide
(2)
anonymous vendor, sale, Christie’s Geneva, 15 November 1999, lot 132
ASSOCIATED LITERATURE
Eugène Jaquet, Alfred Chapuis and G. Albert Berner, Histoire et technique de la montre suisse de ses origines à nos jours, Basle, 1945, pl. 25; repr. in English as Eugène Jaquet and Alfred Chapuis, The Technique and History of the Swiss Watch, trans. by D. S. Torrens and C. Jenkins, Boston, 1953, pl. 25;
Ian White, The Majesty of the Chinese-Market Watch, London, 2019, no. 6:14, pp. 264/5
The subject on the lid is based on an engraving by William Walker, after Charles Monnet, entitled Telemachus explains the questions of Minos, illustrating Fénelon’s Aventures de Télémaque, first published anonymously in 1699. Telemachus tells Calypso how he and others were challenged to answer three philosophical questions posed by Minos and how, guided by memories of Mentor’s opinions, he had been able to give replies closest to the correct answers.
Although almost identical to a box illustrated by Jaquet and Chapuis from the Loup and Toerehan collections1, there are enough variances in the enamel painting and in the pearl count (Ian White’s method of distinguishing very similar objects) to be sure that the two are not the same.
Furthermore, according to Chapuis, the movement of the Loup box was signed: Daniel Piguet à Genève, although no number was mentioned. This has always been rather puzzling since at the time the box would have been made, circa 1815-1820, like the present example, Piguet was working in partnership with Philippe-Samuel Meylan. The partnership was in existence from 1811 until 1828, hence the present attribution of the movement.
1Eugène Jaquet, Alfred Chapuis and G. Albert Berner, Histoire et technique de la montre suisse de ses origines à nos jours, Basle, 1945, pl. 25; repr. in English as Eugène Jaquet and Alfred Chapuis, The Technique and History of the Swiss Watch, trans. by D. S. Torrens and C. Jenkins, Boston, 1953, pl. 25; Ian White/Julia Clarke, The Majesty of the Chinese-Market Watch, London, 2019, no. 6:14, pp. 264/5