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Reference:
smtsit120
Description: A rare early tortoiseshell box of octagonal form
inlaid with mother of pearl and piqué work in gold. This kind
of work first appeared in Naples, Italy, in the late
seventeenth century and was practiced by jewelers. See Antique Boxes, Tea Caddies, and Society, 1700--1880
Antigone Clarke & Joseph O'Kelly, ISBN: 0764316885 pages 103-104. The gold flowers are
slightly raised and the mother of pearl incised. At this early
period the mother of pearl shell was shaped by hand, without the
assistance of acid as was the case after the 1830s.
The theme on this box is most unusual in that it depicts a rather
domestic bird and dog. It is very likely that it was a token of
love, with the dove being a symbol of love and the dog of fidelity.
Origin:
Naples, Italy
Circa: 1740
Materials: Tortoiseshell
Size: 3.6" tall. 9cm.
Condition: small
losses of gold and small chips on the shell. |
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