Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces

Geneva, May 14, 2017

LOT 179

NAPOLEONIAN TROOPS, GOLD AND EMAMEL SNUFF BOX Georges Reymond, Swiss. Made circa 1815. Fine and rare, 18K gold and painted on enamel snuff box.

CHF 15,000 - 25,000

HKD 120,000 - 200,000 / USD 15,000 - 25,000

TO BE SOLD WITHOUT RESERVE

Sold: CHF 32,500

Rectangular with canted corners, the sides decorated with panels of translucent royal blue and enamel over engine-turning, the corners decorated with gold paillon urns, the base decorated to match with a fine geometric enamel border with repeat pattern, hinged lid with a finely painted on enamel scene of Victory celebrating the victory of the Russians over the French (The coat of arm on the flag are probably those of the Romanov, "R" in the bicephale (two- headed eagle), outer border to match the base.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 2-8

Very good

Slightly scratched

Notes

DIM. 95 x 64 x 15 mm. Provenance: Christies, November 21st, 1972. Jean-Geroges Rémond, Geneva Jean-Georges Rémond was active from 1783 to circa 1815-1820. Became Master goldsmith on December 22, 1783 and struck his first Master mark. Seven years later he appears to have formed a company: Georges Rémond & Cie, which eventually became, circa 1800, Rémond, Mercier, Lamy & Cie. During the French occupation of Switzerland by Napoléon, Jean-Georges Rémond recorded marks. In 1792, the partners Joseph Guidon, Jean-Georges Rémond, David Gide, Laurent Guisseling and Jean-Noël Lamy informally began working as Guidon, Rémond, Gide & Cie, (the company was officially registered on January 1, 1796). In 1809, the firm took on the name of Jean-Georges Rémond & Cie, and had offices both in Geneva and Hanau. The partners were Jean-Georges Rémond, Jean-Noël Lamy, Jean Boëhm (domiciled in Hanau), Denis Blondet, Laurent Guiseling, and Daniel Berton. In 1811, Jean-Georges Rémond, Jean-Noël Lamy, Laurent Guiseling, Pierre Mercier and Daniel Berton formed a company known as Rémond, Lamy, Mercier & Cie. Bibliography (to understand the importance of Jean-Georges Rémond as a gold box maker in Geneva) Chapuisat, Edouard, Le commerce et l'industrie à Genève pendant la domination française (1789-1813), d'aprés des documents inédits, Editions A. Julien, Georg & Cie, 1908, p. 489. Haydn, Williams, & Clarke, Julia (ed.), Enamels of the World, 1700-2000, The Khalili Collection, London, The Khalili Family Trust, 2009, pp. 292-317 (see also: http://www.khalilicollections.org). Clarke, Julia, "Swiss gold boxes: myth or reality?", in Murdoch, Tessa, & Zech, Heike (ed.), Going for Gold: Craftsmanship and Collecting of Gold Boxes, Brighton, Sussex Academic Press, 2014, pp. 70-71. To be sold without reserve