Gold Snuffbox, France, Louis XVI Period (ca. 1780–1790)

Elegant oval snuffbox in chased and engine-turned gold, made in France at the end of the 18th century, in the refined Neoclassical taste of the Louis XVI period. The lid features a central medallion with classical architecture and musical instruments in multicolored gold, framed by a laurel border and guilloché ground with raised dots, echoed on the reverse. The side is decorated with rectangular panels enriched with antique vases and garlands. The interior punch, a crown over the initials “D·S,” points to a Parisian goldsmith specialized in luxury objects for the aristocracy. Weighing 73 g, this snuffbox perfectly combines technical mastery and decorative elegance, a precious testimony of late 18th-century French refinement.