Russian-style Box

[dognose]

Hi,

Another set of images sent to me by a friend with the hopes of an identification. A box, that to me, looks very Russian influenced:

















The maker's mark appears to be 'JC' or 'JG' and a bee surmounted by a star.

Any thoughts appreciated.

Trev.

[JayT]

Hello Trev
Some thoughts: Yes, this box is in the Russian style, although the figure with the bagpipes says more Romanian or Hungarian to me. In any case, an example of a blend of the picturesque and nostalgic that was so typical of mid-nineteenth century French romanticism. I can't tell if the technique is real niello or just oxidized silver.

The marks: You have the French mercury head mark for exports, used 1840-79, and the boar's head mark for smalls. The maker appears to be Jean Cheroux. This is his second mark, used on snuff boxes (orfèvrerie en tabatièrefrom 15 September 1854-1July 1862. Cheroux worked at 24, rue Michel-le-Comte in Paris. Cheroux's first mark (used 1827-54) had the bee above and the star below on a vertical axis. The second mark - this one - is described, not illustrated. Therefore I won't attribute this box to him 100%, but have a good degree of confidence that Cheroux is the right maker.

Both halves of the box should be marked.

See Arminjon, v. I, p.183, no.01650.

[AG2012]

The man on the left is playing bagpipes and wears a beret.
To my surprise, there are more types of bagpipes in France than in any other country.
So, I would not go as far as Hungary and Romania. Most probably, the motif in niello was done after a Western Europe genre painting; tavern scenes with musicians were very popular.
I do not want to start the discussion regarding the quality of niello and motifs, but French silversmiths produced snuff and tobacco boxes of extreme quality that can easily match any niello work made in e.g.Imperial Russia.
Regards

[dognose]

Many thanks to you both for this excellent information. I'll pass the details on to the owner.

Trev.