A Russian rectangular tri-colour gold snuff box by Johann Wilhelm Keibel (1788-1862), circa 1830, the hinged cover with an applied diamond shaped section of foliate scrolls on a matt ground surrounded by a border of scrolling yellow and red gold and platinum scrolls, signed Keibel in script to the inside cover and base, numbered 768, otherwise unmarked, 8.4 cm high, 5.6 cm wide, 1.4 cm deep, 92 grams, Johann Wilhelm Keibel, a St Petersburg goldsmith and jeweller, inherited his father's workshop in 1809. The firm had received the Imperial Warrant and were known to produce a series of outstanding gold snuff boxes for the court, often only bearing the signature and no assay marks (see von Solodkoff). In 1826, Keibel reworked the Imperial Crown for Nicholas I's coronation. Carl Faberge's father, Gustav worked as an apprentice for the firm which closed in 1917. Illustrated: Alexander von Solodkoff, Russian Gold and Silver, plate 206. Illustrated: Sotheby's Geneva, 7 May 1982, lot 65
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- Circa - A Latin term meaning 'about', often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.
- Foliate - Decorated with leaves or leaf-like forms.
- Assay / Assayed - Assaying is the testing of a metal, most commonly silver and gold to determine its ingredients and quality. In Britain, once an item of silver or gold has been assayed, a mark is stamped on it, certifying its purity. Known as hallmark, it derives its name from the Guild Hall of the Goldsmiths' Company, who recieved its Charter in 1327 giving it the power to assay and mark articles of gold and silver.
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