18th Century Box With Tortoiseshell Decoration Depicting A Village Dance, Fixed Under Elusive Glass.

The lid of this interesting 18th-century box is adorned with a miniature painting on fine canvas, affixed beneath the domed glass with glue. It is therefore a reverse painting technique, unlike the reverse glass painting where the image is painted on the back of the glass.
The painting, very fine and detailed, depicts a lively village dance scene with many figures in a wooded, hilly landscape with a sky of superb hues. Domed glass, gilt metal rims.

This box was highly valued. It is very moving to see that its owners attached great importance to it and had it repaired in the 18th or 19th century with rivets and a steel ring on the inside. It still contains a small note on old paper tied with a cord holding a thin lock of hair. We have not unfolded it to preserve its mystery.

Note: crystallization of the glue in the center of the glass, which does not obscure the image.

18th century, circa 1780.

Diameter 7.8cm, height 2.7cm.
Weight 96g