Porcelain Snuffbox Jewelry Box by Edme Samson Manufacturing, Sevres, 19th Century

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Description

Measurements:
height: 4.8 cm; width: 11.5 cm; depth: 6.6 cm

item :
a magnificent antique hard-paste porcelain jewelry box, entirely … Read more Measurements:
height: 4.8 cm; width: 11.5 cm; depth: 6.6 cm

item :
a magnificent antique hard-paste porcelain jewelry box, entirely hand-decorated with a brush, finished in pure gold, signed "henry" on the decoration and under the base with the mark used in 1755 by the french imperial manufactory of sèvres. This elegant bean-shaped jewelry box or snuffbox is a superb example of fine french porcelain from the belle époque (late 19th century), admirably executed in the historicist style of the ancien régime. Crafted from high-quality hard-paste porcelain with an ornate gilt-bronze mount, the lid features a refined, pastoral-inspired gallant scene signed in full by the painter "henry," who specialized in rococo-style miniatures. The base bears the apocryphal double "l" mark intertwined with the catalog letters "c" and "l," designed to replicate the famous 1755 mark of the royal sèvres manufactory. The absence of the 19th-century french state manufactory's trademarks and the very nature of the glass impasto place the work's genesis within the prestigious artistic production of 19th-century parisian ateliers, among which the renowned edme samson manufactory, which we can attribute the paternity of this marvelous object, stands out for its qualitative and executive excellence. The exceptional nature of the piece lies in its complex kidney-shaped form, one of the most difficult and sophisticated silhouettes in 18th-century ceramic modeling, designed to rest gracefully on the dressing tables of the ancien régime aristocracy. Decorated entirely by hand using the rigorous techniques of hard porcelain painting, the surface is punctuated by a symphony of polychrome cartouches in the celebrated pastel shades of pompadour green and rose, masterfully framed by sumptuous brush-applied pure gold gilding in relief. The zenithal lid features a meticulous rococo-style miniature painting depicting an idyllic pastoral scene with a lady and a gentleman musician, enhanced on the back by a gold trophy depicting musical instruments. The exterior decoration is further embellished, along the edges of the base, by a series of small, delicate gilded frames enclosing beautiful miniature landscapes, painted with extraordinary calligraphic finesse, evoking bucolic views, rivers, and ancient architecture immersed in nature. The porcelain's perfect condition is complemented by a precious cage mounted in gilded and chiseled bronze with its original rear hinge, which houses an immaculate interior decorated with delicate bouquets of polychrome roses and violets, a testament to the meticulous craftsmanship that left no detail to chance. This is a highly significant, antique, and artistically significant object, a true gem for art lovers and collectors.

about the artist and/or manufacturer:
the samson factory was founded in paris in 1845 by edme samson (1810-1891), an extraordinarily talented ceramist who recognized the growing desire among the wealthy nineteenth-century bourgeoisie for faithful reproductions of the great ceramic masterpieces of the past. Initially specializing in replacing missing pieces for important private collections, the firm, under the leadership of edme and later his son émile, expanded, establishing its own workshops in montreuil and becoming the most famous and technically advanced manufacturer of art replicas in the world. Samson's greatest artistic achievement was his mastery of every type of body, glaze, and firing, reproducing with astonishing scientific accuracy the soft-paste porcelains of sèvres and chantilly, the hard-paste porcelains of meissen and chelsea, and even the exquisite chinese porcelains of the "compagnie des indes" and the intricate vases of faenza and palissy. Although the factory often applied its own tiny monogram out of commercial ethics, the extraordinary skill of its academic painters and the extremely high quality of the relief gilding meant that samson's works elevated the status of the "copy" to a true and independent art object, today widely sought after and valued on the international antiques market as a precious testimony to 19th-century historicism. This piece has an attribution mark,
i am sure that it is completely authentic and take full responsibility for any authenticity
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