Snuffboxes and Сigarette Сases

Snuffbox with a portrait of the Prussian King Frederick II the Great

    Snuffbox with a portrait of the Prussian King Frederick II the Great

    Russia, St. Petersburg

    Circa 1790

    Enamel, glass, multi-colored gold; enamel over guilloché, champlevé enamel, guilloché, chasing, polishing, faceting

    1.9 x 9.1 x 5.7 cm

    Marks: inside the box: city mark of St. Petersburg, circa 1795, mark of the assay master Alexander Ilyich Yashinov 1795-1826 — “A.Ya”. On the lid rim, two owl-shaped marks. On the miniature frame: “Frederic Second unique au Monde” (Frederick the Second unique in the World). Signed on the miniature: “J. Schwab”

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    The snuffbox features a rectangular gold body with rounded vertical edges and a hinged lid. On the lid made of two-colored gold, there is an ornament of gold leaves and flowers of royal blue enamel over guilloché on a field of light blue enamel within frames of white and blue enamel, separated by gold and dotted tracks. In the center, there is an insert under a faceted glass depicting a polychrome enamel portrait of Frederick II the Great, King of Prussia since 1740, in the uniform of the Prussian Life Guards, within a gold octagonal frame with an inscription in French: “Frederic Second unique au Monde” (Frederick the Second unique in the World) and symbols of the sun, a compass, and scales. Under the lid, there is a tobacco compartment with marks on a mirror-polished surface. The bottom panel of the base and the side surface feature a ribbed texture of different directions within vertical bands, in a frame with a foliate ornament. The lower edge of the base and the rounded vertical edges are smoothly polished.The veneration of the Prussian king at the court of Tsar Peter III is well known and was passed down to his son Paul I. This box is also probably connected with the historical past of Freemasonry.



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    2205MC153/ДПИ