Gold Box - Augustin-andré Héguin Paris, First Empire Period.

Rare curved rectangular piece with rounded sides, in fine gold, preserved in its original skin case.

This elegant box testifies to the extreme refinement of Parisian goldsmithing at the hinge of the XVIIIᵉ and XIXᵉ centuries.

The finely executed decoration features chiseled geometric motifs at its center, framed by a frieze of burnished foliage and palmettes subtly detached against a background of amati gold.

The lid and base are adorned in perfect succession with the same ornamental repertoire, underlining the coherence and quality of the whole.

At the corners, powerful palmettes known as "greases" reinforce the decorative reading and architectural elegance of the piece.

Weight: 102 g

Hints:

- Rooster, 3ᵉ title (1798-1809)

- Man's head "85" (Parisian guarantee hallmark)

- Master hallmark: AAH

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The silversmith

Augustin-André Héguin was received as a master silversmith in Paris on April 16, 1785, after his induction by Jean-Joseph Barrière.

He began his career making simple or enameled snuffboxes, as well as refined jewelry pieces. His talent earned him a position as one of the suppliers to Grancher, known as "au Petit Dunkerque", Marie-Antoinette's appointed merchant and jeweler.

Continuing his activity after the Revolution, Héguin inscribed a new hallmark around 1804-1805, then established rue de la Monnaie, before moving to place de Thionvillein 1811. His work perfectly illustrates the continuity of Parisian luxury through the political upheavals of the late XVIIIᵉ century.

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Reviews on gold

A gold object is not just an investment: it's an heirloom.

Rareful, timeless, it crosses generations without losing either its value or its beauty. Unlike ephemeral goods, gold remains, is passed on and tells a story.

To acquire or gift such a piece is to unite elegance, security and memory, the pleasure of possession with an awareness of heritage.

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Bibliography

- Grandjean, Serge, Catalogue des tabatières, boîtes et étuis des XVIIIᵉ et XIXᵉ siècles du musée du Louvre, RMN, Paris, 1981, no. 298

- Dreyfus, Carle, Catalogue sommaire du mobilier et des objets d'art du XVIIᵉ et du XVIIIᵉ siècle, Musée du Louvre, Paris, 1922, p. 144, no. 751

- Barbet de Jouy, Henry; Saglio, Edmond; Courajod, Louis; Both de Tauzia, Léon, Don de M. et Mme Philippe Lenoir, Musée du Louvre, Paris, 1889, p. 71-72, no. 183