Rare 19th Century French Kingwood, Rosewood & Mother of Pearl Parquetry Ormolu Mounted Boîte à Nécessaire

Superb Rare 19th Century French Kingwood, Rosewood & Mother of Pearl Parquetry Ormolu Mounted Boîte à Nécessaire. This truly beautiful piece, veneered throughout with matched chevrons of Kingwood, with its cover & hinged door inlaid with mother of pearl, Rosewood & Kingwood parquetry lattice work, all set within an ormolu beaded mount frame is absolutely gorgeous to behold. The two ormolu female Goddess figures are beautiful quality, one of which being identified as the muse Kleio. The ormolu throughout exhibits the richest of aged gilt colours. This sumptuous piece opens to reveal a fitted interior with the two original filigree gilt metal mounted glass perfume bottles, the tops of which are enamelled with the buildings from the Place Vendôme in Paris, including the column of Napoleon Bonaparte, together with compartments for earrings, rings & other jewellery pieces. Both bottles with their original glass stoppers. The velvet lined compartments have the most beautifully executed gold thread decoration, sitting above two short & one long exquisitely dovetailed Rosewood drawers. This stunning piece is in untouched excellent condition for its age & maintains its original lock & key. From an important Estate.

KLEIO ( Clio ), as you know, was one of the nine Mousai ( Muses ), the goddesses of music, song and dance. She was the daughter of Zeus & Mnemosyne. In the Classical era, when the Mousai were assigned specific literary and artistic spheres, Kleio was named Muse of history. In this guise she was represented holding an open scroll or seated beside a chest of books. Her name was derived from the Greek verb kleô, “to make famous” or “celebrate.”

The most beautiful, elegant & finest of boîte à nécessaires’. A masterpiece!

Approximate size:

Width: 13.25 inches

Depth: 7.75 inches

Height: 7.5 inches

This item was sold to a client in China.