Imagine to whom this first belonged; a very fortunate Grand Tour traveler, dignitary, honored guest on a trip to Paris circa 1820s. The finest old treasures would have been found on offer from the boutiques of the famed Palais Royal, and we believe this certainly qualifies. Elegant gifts, leather and wood travel luxuries, essentials to the very well-heeled of the world. Anything then that was top of the line from finest furniture and boxes, to porcelains and opulent sterling silver goods were to be found at the Palais Royal boutiques. Those boutiques lined the promenade around the center courtyard gardens of the old palace of Cardinal Richelieu, by this time (1820s) housing performance theatre and restaurants, as well. Fines opaline glass creations, whimsical in nature - egg-shaped ones you've seen, boxes made for sugar (an expensive substance then) which locked to keep servants from pilfering the Master's sweets. And vanity items. This is one such. A stunning souvenir scent casket still fitted with its two scent bottles, each with their own little painting on wafer. They each have their original stoppers and not a nip nor chip anywhere. Perfectly supported within the outer opaline casket in the framework that remains perfect, as well. And there, on top, the grandest eglomise souvenir scene of them all. A little artist's license taken, that top shows the square of the Concord and fountains, and in distance you see the Arc de Triomphe. At left you see the Medici Palace (which is across the Seine) and at right you view a corner of the Tuileries Palace. That square begins the beautiful walk through the Tuileries Gardens and would have held such memories for a first time Paris visitor. The views preserved on the scent bottles include a grand view of the Madeleine cathedral and also Napoleon's Arc, nearer the Louvre. Splendid find!
Very good to excellent condition throughout. While not visible to the naked eye, I can find a tiny flaw to note, and you'll have to enlarge the photo of the huge oval top to see that there is a very very faint hairline on the wafer at about the 9 o'clock position, and another at about 3 o'clock. These are natural shrinkage adjustments inherent in the old natural material upon which the paintings are done and does not represent an accident. I had to greatly enlarge it to be able to see it at all. The large oval painting has moved ever so slightly under the cover glass, and a sliver of exposure there in front, viewable head-on from top. Otherwise, not even a tiny hairline in the neck of either of the scent bottles (in one you can see the "7" etched by the makes, to match the stoppers). No dings, no dents. No chips, no nibbles, no no cracks on the old painted wafers, no loss of paint, even. The original key remains with it, locks the casket. It's a hollow key with a pin, this one is top quality throughout. Don't miss it. Things like this just do not come along but once in a lifetime, if that. Disbursing my own collections. Come back!
