18th-Century French Gold Snuff Box and Watch

A meticulously hand-engraved pattern of Maltese crosses envelopes the exterior of this remarkably rare Louis XVI-period gold snuff and watch box This exquisite objet d'art was created by noted Parisian goldsmith Barnabé Sargeret of exquisite 18K yellow gold. While one end of the cylindrical vessel holds snuff, the other opens to reveals an integrated watch created by one of the most important Parisian clockmakers of the later 18th century, Charles Dutertre.

A work of superior French artistry, to find such a unique box created by two masters of their fields is simply extraordinary. Sageret is among the best highly regarded makers of these exquisite objets d'art, and examples of his work can be found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, among other collections. The present piece is exemplary of the highly detailed chased and engraved ornamentation for which he is known. Charles Dutertre's horological creations were coveted amongst the 18th century's most prominent clock collectors. His clocks are known to have been part of the private collections of the aristocracy and nobility, including the Marquise de Langeac, Prince Charles de Lorraine and the King Louis XVI's brother, the Comte d'Artois.

Diminutive works of intricate artistry, snuff boxes were once considered the height of fashionable luxury in the 18th- and 19th-centuries. Designed to be small enough to fit in a gentleman’s waistcoat, these ornamented boxes were used to hold snuff, a popular scented tobacco. The most elegant were made using the finest materials, including gold, porcelain, tortoiseshell, enamels, mother-of-pearl, and more. Symbols of status, they were counted among the most expensive and elegant personal effects, and soon became collector's items.

Bears the partial French charge marks dating the piece to 1752; stamped "Sageret À Paris"; watch face inscribed "Charles Dutertre"

2" diameter x 1 3/8" diameter