Hôtel Lambert, Une Collection Princière, Volume V : L’Écrin

A gold and enamel bonbonnière, Joseph-Etienne Blerzy, Paris, 1779

Auction Closed

October 14, 05:38 PM GMT

Estimate

6,000 - 8,000 EUR

Lot Details

Description

A gold and enamel bonbonnière, Joseph-Etienne Blerzy, Paris, 1779

circular, the lid and base centred with circular enamel medallions painted in crimson camaïeu with turtle doves, Cupid's bow and quiver or an altar of love, on a diaper engine-turned ground, within borders of alternating opalescent beads and green enamelled florettes or garlands within interlaced ribbons, maker's mark, charge and discharge marks of Jean Baptiste Fouache (1774-1780), Paris date letter Q for 1779, the rim numbered 833

weight: 124.6 g

diameter 2¾ in.; 7,3 cm.

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Bonbonnière en or et émail par Joseph-Etienne Blerzy, Paris, 1779

le couvercle et la base centrés de médaillons circulaires en émail peints ornés de colombes, de l'arc et du carquois de Cupidon et d'un autel à l'Amour, poinçon de l'orfèvre, charge et décharge de Jean Baptiste Fouache (1774-1780), lettre-date de Paris pour 1779, le rebord numéroté 833

weight: 124.6 g

diameter 2¾ in.; 7,3 cm.

Sotheby's Paris, 1 December 2011, lot 40.

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Sotheby's Paris, 1 décembre 2011, lot 40.

On 27 February 1750, Joseph-Etienne Blerzy became apprentice to François-Joachim Aubert, a goldsmith who had specialised in mounting tortoiseshell and lacquer snuff boxes. Aubert also acted as sponsor in 1768 when Blerzy became master, from the pont au Change. His shop remained on the bridge until 1785 when all the houses were destroyed in order to widen the road. Blerzy subsequently moved to the rue de la Monnaie 41, and sometime before 1798 to the rue du Coq St. Honoré where he is recorded in the Almanach de Commerce in 1806 with his brother Etienne-Lucien. Blerzy was one of the most accomplished late eighteenth century Parisian gold box makers, and examples made during his long career can be found in most of the major museum collections for decorative arts, such as the Gilbert Collection in the Victoria & Albert Museum (e. g. inv. no 370-2008), or the Metropolitan Museum of Art (inv. no. 17.190.1130).