enamel top ciggarett box opinions where it was made.

[gsmoggy]

Hi members
I would be interested to know if anyone has any feelings about where this box may have been made? The only mark it has is 935.

Regards Guido.

[Traintime]

General listing of world standards would suggest Austria/Germany/Switzerland as likely: http://www.925-1000.com/a_Standards.html

[gsmoggy]

Many thanks Traintime.
I felt it was a very interesting and quality piece ,have not been able to see similar ones anywhere on the net.

Regards Guido.

[Joerg]

Hi
Cannot add much to the marking. Just a side note, the email? picture represents either Cupid and Venus or Amor and Psyche. A very common sujet in Europe, somehow a "legal" way of showing a nude. And to make sure nobody makes a wrong interpretation of the meaning of the picture we notice the two white doves on the left, symbol for purity. Such pictures exist from the 1600s onward up to modern time. Looking at the hair style and the face of Venus (or Psyche) I have a feeling this picture is made in the 1920ies or 1930ies.
Regards, Jörg

[gsmoggy]

Hi Joerg
Many Thanks for your relply. Yes you are right ,the painting does represent Venus and cupid. I am surprised no one has seen similar boxes at this stage ? someone pointed out that if it was painted in the 20s-30s the hair style would be different on Venus,so it may be earlier than the 1920s.
Regards Guido.

[Aguest]

There has been some scholarly work about the forgotten artists of Vienna circa 1900, many of whom worked in Enamel, many of whom were very talented women who went largely unrecognized for their superior techniques ::: This book might be of service to you, I believe it is called "The Memory Factory" ::: I don't see why this piece couldn't be from Vienna circa 1900, there was a world-wide Greek Revival during that time and images such as the Cupid and Venus were quite stylish and wealthy consumers wanted to buy such images :::

[gsmoggy]

Hi Aguest
Many thanks for your comments about my enamel top box ,I will see if i can find that book ,it sounds very interesting ,also I collect portrait miniatures on ivory and a lot of them mainly the Edwardian ones around 1900 were painted by women(maybe an interesting coincidence).

Again Many thanks.

[Aguest]

Do a search for "900 Austrian Enamel Match Case" and you will see an example I found which has a miniature portrait of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, painted in an unusual manner more similar to Gustav Klimt or Egon Schiele, never could figure out who made that piece, but it might be an example of the Vienna Enamel Artists circa 1900 :::

[gsmoggy]

Hi Aguest
Many thanks for your suggestions .

I contacted the author of "the Memory Factory" Julie Johnson,she said that she did not recognize it as a painting by the women of the Vienna school.She correctly suggested that it was a 19th cen painting in the Boucher Style .I have replied and asked her if women at that time in Vienna did this style of enamel painting? The mystery goes on ,it is always a mystery why makers names were not put on some things.I am happy and surprised that I have not seen a similar one at this stage.

The Austrian match case is interesting ,although to me the painting is a bit more in the impressionistic style compared to the box which is more old masters or classical style.
Since cigarettes were invented around 1885 there is a possibility that the box may have been made pre 1900 and not 1920-30.

again many thanks for your input.

Regards Guido.