Antique Georgian Portrait Minitaure, 1780-1830 Faux Tortoise Shell Snuff Box, 12K Gold Pique & Frame- Tortoiseshell

Antique Georgian Portrait Minitaure, 1780-1830 Faux Tortoise Shell Snuff Box, 12K Gold Pique & Frame- Tortoiseshell

With only the slightest loss of some of the 12k gold pique work on the rim, this beautiful old English snuff box would be at home in the most sophisticated collections, and certainly is figuring well in mine at the moment, displayed in a converted French armoire, now a vitrine. The painting is in watercolor or gauche on thin natural wafer, and it suffers no losses at all and is a captivating sidelong view of a stately gentleman. In its time, only the very wealthy and titled of society were able to afford to have their likeness so captured for posterity, and yet we haven't any information about this dignified man, sadly enough. But he survives the centuries as you see him, perfectly preserved under the orignal convex cover glass, framed in 12k gold with 12k gold pique trim, and the snuff box is entirely shell. A superb find!

Very good condition for age and type, the painting is pristine as you see it. The expressive sidelong glance of this late 1700s gentleman in his powdered hairdo is superbly crafted for a painting so small. Housed in a shell and 12k gold pique snuff box, you see that there is a little crazing to the box's top surface, but the balance of the old shell is superb. A bit of missing gold pique, which you can evaluate in our scan and our photos, but the overall piece is one of very high quality, I think you'll agree. No chips or cracks, no hairlines. Top fits smoothly onto the bottom, as well. A fine item for any collector.

Item ID: 1111tspmbox4

NOTE This item will be handled and shipped from our Utah office, and is not available to California customers, sorry. Please see our small print for more details.

$995 $846 USD SALE

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