IMPORTANT SEVRES-STYLE JEWEL CASKET, NAPOLEON III PERIOD, CIRCA 1870–1880

jewel casket of shaped and moulded form in hard-paste porcelain with cobalt blue ground (‘bleu de four’), mounted on its original finely chased gilt-bronze frame. The cover is decorated with a large hand-painted polychrome cartouche depicting a rural neo-18th-century scene, evocative of the pastoral works of Watteau or Fragonard. The composition includes itinerant musicians, figures at a doorway, children, and a farm dog in a lively village setting. The cartouche is framed by an elaborate high-relief decoration of scrolls, foliage, rocaille volutes and flower bouquets highlighted in gilt. The sides are centred with a painted landscape cartouche depicting a tree-lined riverbank, finely executed and enhanced with gilt lines. The interior is fully glazed in white. The gilt-bronze mounting is original and retains its articulated hinge and functional gadrooned clasp. The scene on the cover is signed in the lower right F. Lauqué, a 19th-century porcelain painter known for Rococo-inspired decoration and maritime subjects. the base bears an apocryphal Sèvres mark with interlaced ‘L’ enclosing the date letter R 8 × 24 × 15.5 cm Upon the buyer’s request, we are pleased to provide a general condition report for the Lot described above. However, as we are not professional conservators or restorers, we strongly advise prospective buyers to conduct their own inspection or consult a specialist or restorer of their choice for a comprehensive professional assessment. Any condition descriptions provided in the catalogue or through any correspondence are for guidance only and should not be considered a substitute for a firsthand evaluation. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD ‘AS IS’ IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE PUBLISHED IN THE CATALOGUE.