Sandbanks Antiques has dated this Gold Portrait Snuff Box to the 19th Century.
The portrait by Isabey is painted on enamel.
Pinned to his left lapel are the badges of the Imperial French Order of the Legion of Honour and the badge of the Royal Italian Order of the Iron Crown of Lombardy. The portrait is bordered by blue enamel and an outer border of rosettes and leaves.
3 1/2 by 2 1/2 by 5/8 inches.
Weight: 135 g, 4.76 oz, 4.34 troy oz.
Hallmarks on the underside of this German-made box include an assay mark, a lion rampant and maker's mark which is heavily worn.
Born in Nancy, France, Isabey arrived in Paris in 1785 to study with Jacques-Louis David. His earliest clients included the family of Eugène Rose de Beauharnais (1781 -1824). Through the marriage of his mother, Joséphine de Beauharnais, he became the stepson of Napoleon Bonaparte. He later became Napoleon's adopted son, but not the heir to the imperial throne. He commanded the Army of Italy during the Napoleonic Wars and was Viceroy of the Kingdom of Italy under his stepfather.
Thereafter his most prestigious client became the emperor himself. An avid snuff-taker, Napoleon Bonaparte commissioned snuffboxes for his use and bequeathed them to his entourage in his will. On becoming Emperor in 1804, he revived the tradition of diplomatic snuffboxes, which had been popular before the French Revolution as a way to reinforce his family's newly established pre-eminence. Records show that he formed a strict hierarchy and budget for these boxes, from simple tortoiseshell to more lavish versions such as ours here.
Isabey is considered one of the great masters of the early-19th-century French miniature.
His works can be found in museums around the world.
Provenance:
Private Manhattan, New York Collection
The G S. May Esquire Private Collection, London
Sandbanks Antiques has dated this Gold Portrait Snuff Box to the 19th Century.
Specialising in antique silver, gold boxes, gold coins and objects de vertu. Rare fine-quality imperial chinese porcelain, jades, cloisonné
You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Sandbanks Antiques Profile Page
Gold Snuff Box with Portrait of Napoleon by Jean-baptiste Isabey '1767–1855'
