Opaline ” Bulle De Savon” Casket Mounted Bronze d’Or, period Of The First Empire

Jewelry box with a rounded rectangular shape in translucent opaline with iridescent reflections called “soap bubble”. The body and lid have a relief molded decoration alternating twisted gadroons on the sides and a diamond point pattern on the upper part. It rests on a raised mount in chiseled and gilded bronze bringing together two side legs perforated by a baluster spacer. The upper cage is highlighted by friezes of pearls and gadrooned foliage motifs, centered with a foliaged laurel wreath keyhole.
Empire period.
Dimensions: 10 x 11 x 9 cm
Slight crack on one side.
This precious jewelry box in the shape of a curved trunk testifies to the extraordinary enthusiasm of the high society of the First Empire and the Restoration for opaline objects, then called “colored crystals”.
The piece is distinguished by the quality of its translucent opaline crystal with magical iridescent reflections, poetically described as a “soap bubble”, a technical specialty then perfectly mastered by prestigious French manufactures such as the Vonêche crystal factory, du Creusot, or the beginnings of Baccarat and Saint-Louis. The relief molding work, alternating twisted ribs and a diamond-pointed top, superbly catches the light and highlights the mother-of-pearl of the material.
The chiseled and gilded bronze frame adopts the architectural and decorative repertoire of the period: a laurel wreath keyhole, beaded friezes and a raised openwork base, connected by a thin baluster spacer. This type of high-end box, intended for refined interiors, served as a case on dressing tables to house the adornments and secrets of elegant ladies of the early 19th century.
Literature: “Opalines”, Ch.Massin Paris, “L’amateur D’Art” Collection Dopal crystal box in chiseled gilt bronze frame First Empire. Deco cut with large bamboo sides, on the lid and the body, in radiant sides on the sides. Sphinxes faced on each of the supports