Snuffbox

The snuffbox, made of enamelled gold by the goldsmith Henry Chabaud in 1808, features on its lid a painted scene by the enamel painter Jean-Louis Richter (1766–1841). The composition depicts a naval engagement of the British fleet in the Bay of Naples, off Castel Maschio Angioino.

The radiating pattern in the background of the painting has been achieved using the guilloché technique, in which an engraved metal ground is overlaid with translucent enamel. The box is unified by a turquoise-blue ground enlivened with crimson flowers and encircling foliate scrolls.