Gold-Mounted Agate Bonbonnière in the Form of an Orange, mid-18th century.

Carved orange agate mounted in chased gold.

Measurements
Height: 4.7 cm.
Diameter: 4.4 cm.
Weight: 54 grams.

A rare and exquisitely carved bonbonnière in the form of an orange, fashioned from a single block of translucent orange agate with natural mottling and veining imitating the variegated rind of the fruit. The lid and lower section are joined by a chased gold mount, finely worked with symmetrical rocaille and shell motifs typical of the Rococo taste. The upper surface of the stone is subtly carved with the fruit’s natural pedicel and radiating depressions, the lapidary capturing with remarkable delicacy both texture and contour.

The interior is highly polished, revealing the gem-like translucency of the agate when held to the light, its hues shifting from honey to deep amber. Boxes of this type, known as bonbonnières or occasionally snuff boxes, were prized objets de vertu, often exchanged as tokens of affection or incorporated into curiosity cabinets. The present example exemplifies the refined wit and naturalism of mid-eighteenth-century hardstone carving, echoing the contemporary fascination with nature’s forms and the technical virtuosity of the goldsmith’s art.

Condition
A small chip to the pedicel. The main body has been broken and professionally restored from three sections; the joins are expertly conserved and barely visible, the overall surface retaining an attractive polish and fine translucency.