A rare piece of heraldry, this French Lacquer Boîte-à-Mouches. This was a gift given to Mrs. Keppel being the Mistress Of King Edward VII. This piece originally appeared in the Sotheby’s catalog, with the title "Objets de Vitrine" from the Collection of Mrs. George Keppel (1869-1947). The box has a rectangular form with the lid inlaid in tortoiseshell and colored gold piqué posé featuring a flower-draped urn within bold interlacing. The red gold mounts and thumbpiece chased with scrolls and waved inside are unique to the period. The interior with two similarly-inlaid lidded compartments and a third containing a lacquer-handled sablehair brush are the hallmark of elegance. The box charge and discharge marks of Jean-Jacques Prévost. Height: 1 1/4” Width: 2 5/16”
