Very early 1800s item, these are more and more rare. This one is very old, note the facet-cut and prong-set tiny emeralds (13 of them) one in each of the little flowers. There are no missing flowers, no missing bees (4 of those, enameled). There have been later productions of this type of item, but none with the detail nor the tiny gems you find on the very old ones. Some say late 1700s, but I think they're Napoleon era, more honestly. I know one of my reference books shows 2 of these, and I can't now figure out which reference book it was. Definitely a museum quality item, this one! Sometimes an item will get set aside waiting for time to research it, and next thing, decades have gone by. Such is the nature of an antique dealer who is busy and also has a very large warehouse.
Very good to excellent for age and type. Nothing missing of the entire brass work of woven twisted wire in the form of an ancient beehive. While I'm uncertain if the interior pot is the old original (would it have been clear?), might it have once been an inkwell? I think that the only flaw is a loss of the tiny spoon which would have hung on that little peg above the bee on entry door at base. Seems amazing that each tiny gem is not only facet-cut, it is also prong-set, AND they're all in place (13). Not a single little flower on brass wire stem is missing. Several up top and others at each of the 3 legs. Full measurements noted on the photos.
