Porphyry Box From Sweden, Beginning Of XIXth Century

Swedish porphyry box from Ävdalen, vermeil button, Sweden, early 19th century After the discovery of a deposit in 1730 by the pastor of the Älvdalen parish church Eric Näsman, it was described in 1739 by the Collège des Mines, as follows: "... the reddish hard marble with dark grains or whitish grains interspersed is called Porphyry, which makes it so hard that almost no iron bites on it". This Swedish porphyry from Alvadälen presents a wide variety of colors and textures, about ten distinct types. The beginning of the exploitation of this porphyry deposit in 1788 gave rise to the creation of remarkable vases mounted in chiseled and gilded bronze. These porphyry objects of various forms and uses were very appreciated by Marshal Bernadotte, King Karl IV Johann, who reigned in Sweden from 1818 to 1844. The work took time: the cutting of a block of 60 centimeters thick on table tops could take up to a year. A cylindrical butter box with a lid required six 12-hour work sessions. If they did not become diplomatic gifts intended for French dignitaries, they were sold in the "raw" state in Stockholm or Gothenburg by traders to special agents or even French merchant-mercers who dressed them in bronzes melted by the capital bronzers.