Gold, vermeil, steel and agate corkscrew circa 1750

A rare travel corkscrew featuring a barrel-shaped handle of banded agate in shades of white, encircled by finely engraved solid gold rings.
The cylindrical silver-gilt case, decorated with twisted fluting, is adorned with a scene depicting a character from the Commedia dell'Arte, in this case Harlequin, standing before a grapevine.

It contains a delicately turned steel worm.

In very good condition with its original case and complete worm. French or English work from the mid-18th century, comparable to the London productions of James Cox intended for export to the Far East.

Dimensions:
Height: 10 cm

Provenance: Private collection, Lausanne.

Our opinion:
This exquisite corkscrew, designed to be carried in a pocket or travel case, testifies to the refinement of tableware and personal objects in the mid-18th century. The combination of vermeil, solid gold, agate, and worked steel perfectly illustrates the taste for miniature luxury items intended for an aristocratic clientele. This type of model is particularly rare on the market, most having disappeared or been dismantled due to the intrinsic value of the precious materials. This example is distinguished not only by the delicacy of its engraved decoration depicting Harlequin before a vine, a particularly evocative subject for an object associated with wine, but also by the exceptional quality of its chasing and the richness of its materials. The presence of finely engraved solid gold elements on the handle, along with the banded agate, lends this piece a rare preciousness, making it more akin to a precious accessory than a simple utilitarian item. Examples combining such a level of goldsmithing with the use of agate remain extremely rare, even in the greatest museums.

We can state without much hesitation that this is very likely one of the finest 18th-century corkscrews currently known.