French Enamelled Silver Cigarette Case with Poetic Inscription
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A French enamelled silver cigarette case, makers mark Hv, rectangular with canted corners, enamelled yellow on a guilloche ground within black Greek key borders, gilt interior, engraved inside the cover 'Sweet when the morning is grey / sweet when they've cleared away / lunch, but at close of day / possibly sweetest.' C.S. Calverley. Dimensions. Provenance: The Estate of the Hon. Dr John Kennedy McLaughlin Am, Sydney. Other notes: C.S. Calverley (1831-1884) a minor English poet famous for his 'Ode to Tobacco' in Cambridge.
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- Guilloche - A form of classical decoration consisting of a repeating ornament of interlacing curved bands, sometimes forming circles, and further decorated with rosettes or other flower forms.
The name is derived from the inventor, French engineer Guillot, who invented a mechanical method of inscribing fine repeating patterns on to metallic surfaces.
On enamelled items with guilloche decoration, the surface is firstly engraved with the repeating pattern, and then covered with several layers of enamel, each of which is fired.
Where the item has not been enamelled the form of decoration is usually called "engine turned". - Canted Corners - In decorative arts, especially furniture making, a canted corner refers to a technique where the corner of the piece is angled or "canted" to create a diagonal corner. This is different from a chamfered corner which is a technique where the edges of a corner are cut at an angle, creating a diagonal edge or "bevel" along the corner.
A canted corner is typically used to add visual interest to the item. It can be found in various styles of furniture such as contemporary, Art Deco, or traditional. It is often used to create a sense of movement and dynamism in a piece.
Canting a corner is a more complex technique than chamfering, and it is typically done by tilting the corner of a piece of furniture and then cutting the wood to match the angle. It's a technique that requires precise measurements and a good understanding of angles and geometry, and it is usually done by experienced artisans.
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