Shaped rectangular, the cover applied with a butterfly and foliage in diamonds centered by a sapphire, the underside enameled with a spray of flowers on translucent pink on a sunburst guilloche ground, with a border of flowers and scrolls in white, green, red, and shades of blue, with conforming sides, the interior of the cover enameled in green grisaille with a musical trophy within a ribbon-tied floral wreath, the interior base later engraved Laura, from James and NEW YORK, marked on interior base, unidentified
3¹⁄₂ in. (8.9 cm.) long

Acquired by Matilda Geddings Gray (1885-1971) from Hammer Galleries, New York, 30 April 1945.
By descent to Matilda Gray Stream (1924-2023) and descendants.

K. Snowman, Eighteenth Century Gold Boxes of Europe, London, 1966, p. 112 and 113, no. 748 (illustrated).

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Lot Essay

The extravagant gem-set butterfly used on this box suggest it was made in Geneva and intended for export to the Turkish market. Indeed the butterfly (kelebek) is an important Turkish symbol of fleeting beauty, rebirth and transformation. Turkey itself is a hotspot for butterfly biodiversity, and one of the most notable species is the 'Sultan' butterfly, scientifically known as Danaus Chrysippus. Although the butterfly is not a formal attribute of the Turkish Sultan, it is worth mentioning that Princess Fehime Sultan (1875-1929), daughter of Sultan Murad V, was nicknamed 'Kebelek Sultan' (Butterfly Princess) because of her unconventional style and personality.
This box, which has no comparable and appears to be a unique model, may have been a gift presented to this princess.