French Gilt Bronze & Guilloché Enamel Box with Portrait Miniature
An exquisite French gilt bronze and guilloché enamel casket, dating to the late 19th century, in the Louis XVI Revival style. The circular form features an openwork body of scrolling floral garlands and acanthus motifs, surmounted by a hinged lid centered with a hand-painted portrait miniature of an elegant 18th-century lady in powdered hair and blue gown.
The portrait is framed within a beaded mount and set against a vivid royal purple guilloché enamel ground, the engine-turned pattern catching the light beneath translucent enamel. The ornate gilt bronze mounts are chased with classical motifs, including stylized fleur-de-lis flourishes.
The interior is fitted with a mirrored lid, reflecting its original use as a jewel casket, trinket box, or dressing table piece. Marked FRANCE on the underside, confirming its Parisian manufacture for the luxury export market of the Belle Époque.
Date: Circa 1880–1900
Origin: France
Materials: Gilt bronze, guilloché enamel, portrait miniature on card, glass mirror
Style: Louis XVI Revival / Belle Époque
Condition: Age-related wear with patina to the gilt bronze. The miniature shows surface cracks and toning, commensurate with age. Enamel retains excellent color and brilliance.
French Gilt Bronze & Guilloché Enamel Box with Portrait Miniature
An exquisite French gilt bronze and guilloché enamel casket, dating to the late 19th century, in the Louis XVI Revival style. The circular form features an openwork body of scrolling floral garlands and acanthus motifs, surmounted by a hinged lid centered with a hand-painted portrait miniature of an elegant 18th-century lady in powdered hair and blue gown.
The portrait is framed within a beaded mount and set against a vivid royal purple guilloché enamel ground, the engine-turned pattern catching the light beneath translucent enamel. The ornate gilt bronze mounts are chased with classical motifs, including stylized fleur-de-lis flourishes.
The interior is fitted with a mirrored lid, reflecting its original use as a jewel casket, trinket box, or dressing table piece. Marked FRANCE on the underside, confirming its Parisian manufacture for the luxury export market of the Belle Époque.
Date: Circa 1880–1900
Origin: France
Materials: Gilt bronze, guilloché enamel, portrait miniature on card, glass mirror
Style: Louis XVI Revival / Belle Époque
Condition: Age-related wear with patina to the gilt bronze. The miniature shows surface cracks and toning, commensurate with age. Enamel retains excellent color and brilliance.