Price guide to antique gold cameo-set snuff boxes. Gold cameo-set snuff boxes are extremely desirable collectible items. They would have been used by only the rich and affluent of society.
A Napoleonic French gold, enamelled and cameo-set snuff box by Adrien-Jean Maximilian Vachette, with the baby’s head unofficial second standard mark for Paris, circa 1810 Rectangular, the cover with a central ovoid deep carved agate cameo depicting a Bacchic scene within a blue enamel band, with a later hinged glazed panel, all on a matted ground, the corners each with a figure; a girl drawing water, a maiden seated by a suit of armour, a maiden decorating a ewer and a sage seated with an urn, separated by relied bell husks and scrolls, the sides with a blue taille d’epargne enamel band of alternating bell husks and stars above engine-turned lattice panels separated by blue enamel pilasters, the base with central engine-turned lattice panel within a taille d’epargne enamel border of alternating bees, stars and bell husks, length 8.5cm, weight all-in 203gms.
Sold for £ 68,500 inc. premium at Bonhams in 2015
A GERMAN ENAMELLED GOLD SNUFF-BOX SET WITH A HARDSTONE CAMEO HANAU, CIRCA 1780/1790, WITH MARKS RESEMBLING THOSE FOR PARIS oval box, the cover, sides and base set with panels of translucent purple enamel within polished gold frames, the cover set with a hardstone oval cameo of a lady facing left, within foliate frame set at intervals with opaque white enamel beads, similar beaded outer borders with translucent red and green enamel berries and foliage, inside of cover engraved ‘This box was the gift of Count Worongow to Sir Walter Farquhar Bart.’ 3¼ in. (82 mm.) wide
Sold for GBP 8,750 at Christies in 2016
A Russian gold snuff box set with cast-paper cameos, Probably Théremin Brothers, St. Petersburg, the cameos possibly by Empress Maria Feodorovna, circa 1800 rounded rectangular, the corners chased with laurel wreathes, the panels of diaper centered at the top by a paper cameo of the Triumph of Bacchus and Ariadne, signed Anteros, and on the base by one showing a chariot race in the Circus Maximus, with the architecture of the spina, marked inside base and cover FT script in circle, city mark, and with Cyrillic letter length 3 7/8 in. (9.8cm)
Sold for 31,250 USD at Sothebys in 2008
