Jewelry Box By Jean-valentin Morel, France, C. 1845

An exceptional jewelry box crafted in silver, vermeil, and champlevé enamel by the famous parisian jeweler and silversmith Jean-Valentin Morel.
In the Renaissance style, it rests on four legs depicting winged lionesses. The sides, resembling arches, feature grotesque panels of putti as hunters, fishermen, farmers, and winegrowers. On the lid, a group in the “ronde-bonne” style depicts a mother at her mirror surrounded by her two children.
Maker’s mark: “Morel & Cie.”
French 1st-title hallmark.
Hallmark of goldsmith Jean-Valentin Morel.
Dimensions: 19 cm x 13 cm
Height: 15 cm

Weight: 1.265 kg
In very fine condition.

Note: Jean-Valentin Morel (1794–1860) was a silversmith and jeweler. His hallmark was registered in 1827. In 1842, he partnered with Henri Duponchel (architect, interior designer, and silversmith) to found the firm Morel & Cie. After the 1848 revolution and a falling-out with his partner, he moved to England and became an official supplier to Queen Victoria.
A jewelry box from a similar commission is housed at the Chitra Museum in Oslo (Norway)