Oval Gold Snuff Box With Painted Enamel, France, Late 18th – Early 19th Century

Chased and engine-turned gold, monochrome enamel, weight 169 g.
Elegant oval snuff box entirely crafted in gold, decorated with horizontal guilloché panels framed by delicate beaded borders and finely chased floral motifs. The upper and lower rims are enriched with a continuous frieze of flowers and leaves in relief.
The hinged cover features, within a laurel leaf border, a refined monochrome enamel miniature on a white ground, depicting a Neoclassical scene inspired by antiquity, protected under a domed crystal.
The polished interior bears French 18K gold hallmarks (eagle’s head) and a master goldsmith’s mark.
A work of high Parisian goldsmithing, datable to the late reign of Louis XVI and the First Empire period, when gold snuff boxes with miniatures and enamels were prestigious status symbols and diplomatic gifts.