'Trois Capricornes du Chêne' Candy Box, circa 1920

La Marquise de Sévigné was a high-end, luxury chocolate store founded in 1898 by Clémentine and Auguste Rouzaud in Royat. In the early 1900s, the company flourished and opened a number of locations throughout France, including Paris. Chocolate boxes were commissioned by the company for their end of year product line and were created by numerous designers out of various materials - leather, metal, wood, and glass. The present lidded box was designed by Amalric Walter, known for his pâte de verre technique and mastery of color in glass, and Henri Bergé, a naturalistic artist and designer. These two artists collaborated on a number of works during their time together at Daum from 1905 to 1915. Daum closed its doors during the war, and rather than returning to the company, Walter started his own studio in 1918. Bergé and Walter continued to produced works together until the studio closed in 1935. The technique and naturalistic design of the present box, incorporating delicate foliage with stylized capricorn beetles set against an amber yellow background, is representative of these Art Nouveau artists's work and is a impressive example of La Marquise de Sévigné's history.