Augustin-Andre Heuguin, Paris, France, Rome, Italy, 1795–1797
Augustin-Andre Heuguin, Paris, France, Rome, Italy, 1795–1797
Micromosaic, 1790, gold, enamel
1,7 cm × 8,8 cm × 6 cm
The snuffbox, crafted in enamelled gold between 1795 and 1797 by the French goldsmith Augustin-André Heuguin, features a pastoral micro-mosaic composed of minute glass tesserae inset into the lid. An engraved inscription encircles the rim: DONNÉ À M. LE BON DE GROUARD PAR S. M. FERDINAND VII ROI D’ESPAGNE.
The object was presented by King Ferdinand VII of Spain to Baron Auguste Antoine Joseph Prouveur de Pont de Grouard (1759–1843). The baron had conveyed to the king a sealed letter from Emperor Napoleon, in which the emperor restored peace between France and Spain and formally recognized Ferdinand VII as the rightful sovereign of Spain.
