Beschreibung:

A LOUIS XVI JEWELLED AND ENAMELLED GOLD PRESENTATION SNUFF-BOX SET WITH A MINIATURE by Jean-Joseph Barrière (fl. 1763-1793), marked, Paris, 1789/1790, with the charge and discharge marks of Jean-François-Kalendrin 1789-1792, the miniature by Louis-Marie Sicardi (1746-1825), signed and dated 'Sicardÿ 1784' (lower left), later struck with two Parisian post-1838 restricted warranty marks for gold Oval gold box, the cover centred by a glazed oval miniature depicting King Louis XVI of France (1754-1793), facing left in blue velvet coat with multi-colour embroidered borders, decorated with the blue moiré silk sash and the silver breast-star of the Royal French Order of the Holy Ghost, with the red sash and ribbon of the Royal French Military Order of Saint-Louis and with the jewel of the Order of the Golden Fleece, white stock and frilled lace cravat, powdered wig and black wig-bag, a blue velvet cloak embroidered with gold fleurs-de-lys draped over his right shoulder, within a double-border of rose-cut and old-mine cut diamonds, the panels of the cover and base enamelled in translucent blue within gold paillon leaf and quatrefoil borders on an engine-turned radiating sunburst ground, the rectangular four side panels with concave corners, the translucent blue guilloché enamel borders with gold paillon leaves alternating with simulated silver pearls, those on the lid set with silver-mounted old-mine cut diamonds, all borders within white enamel bands, the four side dividers composed of two simulated pearl paillon columns with white enamel bases and tops enclosing a gold taille d'épargne rosette on a blue enamel roundel with rectangles above and below on a structured reeded gold ground 3¼ in. (83 mm.) wide