The oval tortoiseshell box with silver sides and stand-away silver hinge,
the slightly domed cover with piqué clouté* and piqué posé* floral and foliate scrolls
around a central roundel of a flowerheads within a braided border;
the tortoiseshell base with script silver piqué inlay: "George Servell" and "1708"
Condition : Excellent; without cracking or chips; no apparent losses to inlay, minor expected scratching;
some stubborn tarnish at the hinge
* Antique tortoiseshell boxes and jewelry are sometimes decorated by the inlay of tiny gold or silver points,
known as piqué - or points set in a pattern of stars or dots.
The pins of metal are inlaid level with the surface of the tortoiseshell and polished with it.
Piqué posé is a technique in which designs cut into the tortoiseshell are inlaid with fine strands of gold or silver.
Piqué clouté employs small pins inlaid to create patterns and delicate decorative motifs.
Piqué work was introduced in the mid-17th century by Neopolitan jeweler Laurentini.
Also popular in France (where it was known as piqué d'or) piqué was
brought into England with the late 17th century immigration of the skilled Huguenot craftsmen.
3.25" Long x 2.5" Deep
SOLD
Price : Please Inquire
# 6966 |