Important
BATTERSEA WRITING CASKET
Circa 1753-1756 York House Factory, London
SOLD

A large Battersea Enamel Box, the slightly bombé sides painted in purple with groups of Putti symbolizing The Arts: PAINTING, (two putti with an easel); ASTRONOMY, (putti with a globe, telescope and instruments); SCULPTURE (a putti chiseling a head); COMMERCE (three putti with bales of merchandise and ships in the background); all within borders of rococo scrolls - the putti thought to be modeled after the children of the engraver, Simon Francois Ravenet, perhaps the most famous of all the engravers to be connected with English enamels.

The slightly domed cover printed in purple with, in the center, Richard de Quinzica disembarking with the ransom offered for his wife to the Corsair Pagamin and on the left Paris adjudging the apple of peace to Hibernia in the presence of Britannia, and on the right, Britannia giving instruction to Hibernia for the Irish industries; all in white scroll cartouches on a white enamel ground molded with lattice work and flowers, the gilt-metal mounts to the base and cover chased with scrolls, Circa 1753-1756. (10 ¼ inches wide.) (For prints to the sides, that on the left and in the center of the cover, see the Catalogue of the Schreiber Collection, Victorian and Albert Museum, London, 1924, Nos. 52, 46 and 47, the latter two illustrated.)

Vertical faces:

Top in detail:

Paris adjudging the apple
of peace to Hibernia in
the presence of Britannia

Britannia giving instruction to Hibernia for the Irish industries

Richard de Quinzica
disembarking with the
ransom offered for his
wife to the Corsair Pagamin