97th Auction

2018/5/12

Lot 204

"D&C", Geneva, diameter 76 mm, 116 g, circa 1820
An exquisite, extremely rare gold enamel bonbonnière "Orpheus and Eurydice"
Case: 18K gold, case maker's punch mark "D&C" in a vertical lozenge with a trefoil below, later French control marks.
Circular, sides and base engine-turned with a geometric pattern and translucent cobalt blue enamelled within Champlevè borders of black, white and blue enamel. The independent cover with exquisite polychrome miniature painting: Orpheus and Eurydice leading by a Cupid after an artwork by Angelica Kauffmann, framed by a Champlevè border of black, white and blue enamel.
Orpheus and Eurydice
Eurydice was set upon by a satyr. In her efforts to escape the satyr, Eurydice fell into a nest of vipers and suffered a fatal bite on her heel. Her body was discovered by Orpheus who, overcome with grief, played such sad and mournful songs that all the nymphs and gods wept. On their advice, Orpheus travelled to the underworld and by his music softened the hearts of Hades and Persephone, who agreed to allow Eurydice to return with him to earth on one condition: he should walk in front of her and not look back until they both had reached the upper world. He set off with Eurydice following, and, in his anxiety, as soon as he reached the upper world, he turned to look at her, forgetting that both needed to be in the upper world, and she vanished for the second time, but now forever.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orpheus, as of 08/09/2012.

Sold

estimated
28.00035.000 €
Price realized
43.200 €