Jewellery, Watches, Silver & Objects of Vertu

A German gold and enamel snuff box, Hanau, circa 1800, the rectangular box with canted corners, the cover with enamelled plaque painted in the manner of Angelica Kauffman, depicting a lady and female attendant with two dogs, a suitor at her knee, her gaze distracted by a swan, against a blue translucent sky, the panel within chased gold and wavy white enamel strung border, the sides similarly decorated and with opaque blue enamel panels, the base with engine-turned sunray (lacking enamel). with incuse number ‘3906’ to the right hand flange, struck twice with French owl import mark for 18ct gold, maker’s mark incuse ‘FJ’ with laurel sprigs above, possibly for Freres Jordan of Hanau (active 1790-1820), length 9.5cm.
£5,400-£6,000

Sotheby’s London, 7 June 2005, lot 14.

See: The Gilbert Collection of Gold Boxes, Vol 2, by Charles Truman, for discussion on the FJ initials.



For similar marks, see The Jacob Collection, the Property of an Important Swiss Collector, Bonhams London, 29 July 2020, Lot 186.