Box of present of the Emperor Napoleon I... - Lot 150 - De Baecque et Associés

Lot 150
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Result : 80 000EUR
Box of present of the Emperor Napoleon I... - Lot 150 - De Baecque et Associés
Box of present of the Emperor Napoleon I Yellow gold box with guilloche, rectangular shape, rounded corners The hinged lid decorated with the monogram N of the Emperor Napoleon I set with round old-cut diamonds on an amatized background surrounded by a moulding and blue enamel net. The edges underlined by flowery scrolls enhanced with blue enamel. The sides and the bottom with guilloche decoration of geometrical motifs and friezes partially enamelled with blue flowered and foliated scrolls 1809-1815, MOULINIE BAUTTE & Cie, Geneva L. 8.8 cm W. 5.2 cm H. 2 cm ESP Gross weight: 148.5 g Engraved N°195F and 1942 on the throat In its red morocco case gilded with the Emperor's arms Napoleon resumed the tradition of the snuffboxes of present offered in diplomatic gift, reward or sign of recognition, to do it he orders snuffboxes in gold, in the big goldsmiths of the time Nicolas Margerit, Etienne Nitot, Etienne Lucien Blerzy offering them in diplomatic gift. He thus ensured their diffusion in the whole Europe. This type of box, made of gold with a diamond figure (with or without a crown), was given under the Consulate (the figure was then "RF") and under the Empire, mainly to ministers and foreign sovereigns. The national archives give us information on the price of this type of box at the beginning of the Empire: 6,118 francs. Several orders are made and informed by the number of "brillants", ours includes fifty-two. In 1810, some of these luxury boxes were invoiced at nearly 17,000 francs. Boxes with the crowned figure "N" can be found in the national collections, one is in the collections of the Napoleon Foundation. These boxes could be decorated with the monogram N of the emperor, but also with his portrait or that of the empress Josephine, painted by Isabey or Augustin. Our box is similar to the one in the Victoria & Albert Museum (N°M.122-1917), a gold box also set with diamonds forming the emperor's initial. Inscribed with the hallmark of Etienne Lucien BLERZY and engraved with the inscription "Etienne NITOT & Fils joaillier, bijoutier se S.M Impce et Reine" (Paris 1798-1809). It is the work of Moulinié, Bautte & Cie, a Swiss company specialized in the creation of watches and objects of virtue created in 1793 by Jean-François Bautte (1772-1837), with whom Jacques-Dauphin Moulinié will associate. In 1804, Jean-Gabriel Moynier joined the two men and the factory took the name Moulinié, Bautte & Cie. Napoleon annexed the canton of Geneva in 1798. Also as of 1798 the town of Geneva adopted as chief town of the French department of Léman the system of the French punches. Thus appears on our box the diamond-shaped mark of the goldsmith (Monogram MB&C), repeated twice in the lid and in the bottom of the box, on the throat the mark of title (3rd title, 750 thousandths) and of guarantee (hand of justice and the number 46 specific to Geneva) Bibliography : A.MAZE-SENCIER, " Les fournisseurs de Napoléon Ier et des deux impératrices ", Laurens, Paris, 1893. Prepared in collaboration with the firm Jean-Claude DEY
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