PAR ADRIEN-JEAN-MAXIMILIEN VACHETTE, PARIS, 1789-90

Rectangulaire à pans coupés, chaque face appliquée d'une plaque en écaille de tortue laquée et piquée sur le couvercle d'un coq regardant au loin un moulin sur une colline, sur le fond une entrée de château avec un arbre et des rochers, sur la face frontale et le côté gauche un paysage en chinoiserie, sur la face de droite un navire rentrant au port, sur l'arrière un panier de fruits, les montures en ors de deux couleurs ciselées d'une frise d'oves, dans un écrin postérieur estampillé Garrard & Cie Ltd, poinçons dans le couvercle, le fond et les côtés: charge, lettre-date et maître-orfèvre; sur la gorge: décharge deux fois, recense de 1798-1809 et contrôle postérieur; gravé sur la gorge: ‘Vachette a Paris"
L.: 6,9 cm. (2¹⁄₂ in.)
Poids brut : 110 gr. (3 oz. 11 dwt.)

Vente Christie's, Londres, 11 juillet 1990, lot 41.

A LOUIS XVI VARI-COLOUR GOLD AND PIQUE TORTOISESHELL SNUFF-BOX
BY ADRIEN-JEAN- MAXIMILIEN VACHETTE, PARIS, 1789-1790
Rectangular with canted corners, the panels in lacquered tortoiseshell decorated with gold pique pose, the cover with a windmill on a hill, the base with a castle gate, the sides with chinoiserie scenes on the front and left side, on the right side a ship in a harbour and on the back panel a bowl of fruit, the gold mount chased with ovolo border, the sides with pilasters, in later green leather case stamped Garrard & Cie Ltd, marked on cover, base and side: charge, date-letter and maker; on flange: decharge twice, recense for 1798-1809 and later control mark; signed on the flange 'Vachette à Paris'

Born in 1753, Adrien-Jean-Maximilien Vachette is the son of Pierre Vachette, receiver of the parish of Cauffry in Oise. He became a master goldsmith in Paris in 1779 and worked at Place Dauphine. After 1797, his hallmark changed to become diamond-shaped. Between 1798 and 1805 the Paris Trade Almanac lists him as a jeweler at 34 "Quai de l'Horloge du Palais", from where he moved to No. 45 from 1806 to 1823. Finally, from 1825 to his death in 1839 he lived at 12 rue Chanoinesse.

In 1809 the Encyclopedic Magazine, or Journal of Sciences, Letters and Arts gave an overview of his production in the sale of the collection of Baron de Hoorn, collector of antique stones which presented "a very large number of superb snuff boxes [...] in precious stones, in the largest volume and the most beautiful choice [...]. All these magnificent boxes are mounted, lined or garnished in gold, and for the most part chased in exquisite taste, by Mr. Vachette, whose talent is quite well known.”

Vachette was considered during his lifetime as one of the greatest gold box maker, and stood out by his use of materials such as lacquer, tortoiseshell and hardstones that he set in gold cagework, even ometimes 'recycling' old elements such as miniatures or cameos. His reputation was such that one of his fellow goldsmith Leffere declared himself in the Annuaire Général du Commerce et de l'Industrie of 1845 as "manufacturer of snuff boxes [...] enamelled, tortoiseshell, made in all ways and VACHETTE style".
The pique decoration used for this snuff-box was very fashionable in the first half of the 18th century in line with Louis XIV's sumptuary laws which limited the quantity of gold authorised per object, but Vachette chooses here to adapt it a Louis XIV style gold cage. However the difference in style and technique of the lid and the side panels, suggests that these might be older and have been recycled and adapted by Vachette for this snuff-box.