95th Auction
2017/5/6
Lot 133
Geneva, 31 x 51 mm, 27 g, circa 1830
A very fine and rare Swiss small gold and enamel box in the shape of an egg made for the Ottoman market
Case: gold and enamel, screwed. The walls are decorated with garland-shaped cartouches with exquisitely painted polychrome summer flowers on a translucent red and opaque blue ground. The cartouches are separated by ornaments of tendrils and flowers of polychrome Champlevé enameling and engraved gold.
In the 17th century a trend developed among wealthy families to present each other with fine Easter eggs made from precious metals and gemstones instead of real eggs - the tradition was particularly popular in the Russian Empire and the value of the eggs depended on the prosperity of the donor. This custom hit its peak in the 19th century with the world-famous Fabergé eggs; the first of them was created for Tsar Alexander III. He ordered the so-called Hen Egg from court jeweler Fabergé as an Easter present for his wife Maria Fedorovna.
A very fine and rare Swiss small gold and enamel box in the shape of an egg made for the Ottoman market
Case: gold and enamel, screwed. The walls are decorated with garland-shaped cartouches with exquisitely painted polychrome summer flowers on a translucent red and opaque blue ground. The cartouches are separated by ornaments of tendrils and flowers of polychrome Champlevé enameling and engraved gold.
In the 17th century a trend developed among wealthy families to present each other with fine Easter eggs made from precious metals and gemstones instead of real eggs - the tradition was particularly popular in the Russian Empire and the value of the eggs depended on the prosperity of the donor. This custom hit its peak in the 19th century with the world-famous Fabergé eggs; the first of them was created for Tsar Alexander III. He ordered the so-called Hen Egg from court jeweler Fabergé as an Easter present for his wife Maria Fedorovna.
estimated
10.000—15.000 €
Price realized
-