A group of three mulit-coloured gold etuis-à-cire, Paris, late 18th century

Property of an Italian private collection

A group of three mulit-coloured gold etuis-à-cire, Paris, late 18th century

all of upright slightly tapering form with oval section; the first Nicolas Choconain-Delaunay, Paris, 1784, decorated with panels of engine-turned flowers and reeding, within two-coloured gold husk borders on a sablé ground, the lid chased with a sunflower, the matrix on the base engraved with a crowned coat of arms initialled LSM, maker's mark, charge and countermarks of Henri Clavel, date letter P for 1784,11.8cm., 4 5/8 in. high; the second, Philippe Bourlier, Paris, 1780-82, similarly decorated, the engine-turned panels framed by laurel borders, blank matrix, maker's mark, second contermarque of Henri Clavel (1780-82), the third, probably Antoine-Joseph Pernisse, Paris, 1782, similarly decorated, the sides chased with husk garlands over polished bead bands, the matrix engraved with intials LE, maker's mark, second charge and contremarque of Henri Clavel (1780-1782), Paris date letter T for 1782, 10cm., 3 7/8 in. high; and a small gold bodkin case, Paris, early 19th century, decorated with fruit and flowers, illegible maker's mark ?E in vertical lozenge, Paris deuxieme titre, Frenchpost-1893 hibou control mark,

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