Marie-Antoinette's favorite decorative style was a layering of paint and varnish invented by the brothers Martin, referred to simply as "Vernis Martin" or varnish Martin. That layering created a depth to the paintings that wasn't achieved in other processes, and while the varnish has darkened over the centuries, it is also a process never quite achieved after the Martin brothers era. Their varnish had a unique quality. While a revival a century later brings to us examples of later efforts, they do not compare to these earliest examples. All-over hand painted, it's got a special charm. Full measurements are noted on the photos.
Very good to excellent for age and type, it does miss some rim spots of the paint and varnish, lost to the centuries (it is over 250 years old), but you can see the primary paintings remain vibrant and lively, dimensional. There are no breaks or chips on the rim or the entirety of the box that would diminish value or enjoyment. A fine example.
IMPORTANT NOTE regarding antique tortoise shell or ivory: We are great supporters of protection for endangered species in our modern world. We never buy or sell anything 100 years or newer; we donate to anti-poaching organizations; we don't hunt; we conserve in ways that impact global warming (we're totally solar at home), knowing those measures also protect the animals in the wild today. We also recognize the vast cultural history we preserve with our care and reverence for these antique objects, and agree with CITES that objects over 100 years of age have nothing whatsoever to do with species depletion in our current world.
Our offering exceeds the age limitation of "more than 100 years of age", and is well within the exemption for CITES regulation. If imported, met the CITES regulation. This item will be handled and shipped from our Utah business, and is not available for shipment internationally, nor within the USA to California, NY, Nevada, Hawaii, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington if it contains ivory, sorry. Please see our small print for more details.
