Antique French Grand Tour Souvenir Jewelry Casket

Details

Description

This beautiful item is an antique French Grand Tour souvenir jewelry casket, manufactured around the Napoleon III to Belle Époque … Read more This beautiful item is an antique French Grand Tour souvenir jewelry casket, manufactured around the Napoleon III to Belle Époque era (late 19th to early 20th century).

The box features thick beveled glass panels held together by a gilded ormolu (gilt brass or tin) framework with decorative borders, resting on short ornate feet. The top panel features the Arc de Triomphe and uses a traditional technique called fixé sous verre or églomisé. This involves hand-coloring a photographic print, a drawing, or a painting directly onto the reverse side of the glass. The inside is lined with a padded, tufted silk designed to gently protect delicate items like pocket watches, rings, or small pieces of jewelry.

These boxes were highly popular luxury keepsakes sold at major cultural sites, cathedrals, and cities across France during the birth of modern leisure tourism. Travelers purchased them as beautiful mementos to display on vanity or dressing tables back home.
Details:

Origin: France

Period: Antique (late 19th / early 20th century)

Materials: Beveled glass, brass

Condition: Good antique condition with age-appropriate wear and patina

Style: French, Victorian / Belle Époque

A classic French accent piece that brings understated elegance and history to any space. See less