A jewelled two-coloured gold and enamel souvenir, 19th century in earlier taste

A jewelled two-coloured gold and enamel souvenir, 19th century in earlier taste

upright rectangular form, the front applied with a medallion enamelled en grisaille, within chased floral ornaments on a translucent grey enamel ground over chevron engine-turning, within opaque white enamel frame and brightly-enamelled foliate border on a sablé ground, the hinged lid applied with rose-cut diamond lettering ‘Souvenir’, the reverse reading ‘d’amitié’, above a glazed chased gold initial CM overlaid on plaited brunette hair on similarly decorated ground, diamond push piece, plain gold underside, implements now missing, French prestige marks including charge mark of Alaterre only (1768-1774), Paris date letter G for 1770, later French control mark

8.6 cm., 3⅜in. high