Lot 432

Jean-Georges Rémond

A very fine and rare lancet-shaped gold enamel snuff box "Allegory of Music", with original box, signed "Au Vieux Paris, Houzeau, 4, Rue de la Paix"

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All sides with opaque light blue enamelling and gold paillon foliage and vertical white enamel pilasters with golden vases ornamentation. The edge of the lid and base with taille d'épargne wavy border. A finely painted scene of a musical trophy within a pastoral landscape in the center of the half pearl set lid.

Jean-Georges Rémond was a goldsmith in Geneva and is recorded to have worked from 1783 until 1815 or 1820. He first used his master's mark in 1783, when he became a master on December 22. He presumably formed the company Georges Rémond & Cie. seven years later; around 1800 the company was renamed Rémond, Mercier, Lamy & Cie. During the French occupation of Switzerland by Napoleon Rémond used his initials within a lozenge as his mark, which was in accordance with the stipulations of the newly formed Département du Léman. A similar design without the lozenge was used by the company Lamy, Rémond, Mercier, Daniel Berton from 1815 to 1829. In 1820 a new company Mercier, Blondel and Berton was established, so it is assumed that Rémond retired or died around that time. The new company only lasted for another seven years though and ceased to operate on April 14, 1827.