Snuffbox Fired Enamel Miniature on Lid Sterling Silver Salimbeni

Shaped snuffbox in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with fired enamel inserted in a fine hand engraving and with round miniature diameter cm. 3.3 hand painted always with fire enamels depicting a sailing ship. Early 19th century Viennese Baroque style. Fine hand engraving on all sides and bottom. Measurements cm. 7.5 x 7.5 x 2. Weight gr. 151. Designed by Franco Salimbeni in 1976 on inspiration of ancient original artifacts and manufactured in Florence at the Salimbeni company headquarters in several specimens, also with different colors and miniatures, with completely manual execution by artisan artists with thick slabs and large reinforcements suitable for supporting numerous high-fire enamelled firings at approximately 750 < 800° C. Miniature is a very ancient technique which consists of painting works in small proportions. It was born for the decoration of the first letter of the paragraph of the books. Over the years, however, this technique is refined and enriched, then moving on to precious personal items. Hand-painted miniatures can be done with multiple different techniques. The most important that we use on our articles are of three kinds: 1) Fire enamel. 2) Water tempera on an ivory plate. 3) Painted on mother-of-pearl. Fire enameled miniatures: On a first layer of enamel generally white or very clear or even transparent suitably liquefied at a temperature of about 750 ° C, the chosen subject is painted using miniature colors which are as many colored crystals, ground and reduced to a very fine, almost impalpable powder washed and purified in distilled water with the addition of small quantities of deoxidizing acids which, diluted with essential oils (usually essential oil of solder), can be mixed to form a palette of colors. With very fine sable hair brushes you draw the subject starting from the perimeter and then gradually adding various layers of color. It is necessary to carry out various firings very often so that the colors harden and are not absorbed by the underlying glaze as, during the subsequent firings at 750 ° C, during liquefaction, it would spread irremediably. Hence the need to form the painting a little at a time, cooking it numerous times. Therefore it is necessary to proceed with numerous retouching, often overlapping different colors that only the painter's experience knows. A beautiful miniature needs from 20 to over 50 firings and is finished when the painter deems he does not have to further intervene. Some colors must have darker tones than others because then, by superimposing the transparent enamel placed at the end of the miniature, they fade. This transparent layer, called “fondant” in jargon, must be smoothed and polished like all other translucent enamel colors. The miniatures with water tempera colors are painted on real ivory...

Sterling silver Jewel box with Rectangular rounded corners gold plated with translucent fire enamel stripes on guilloche and hand engraved with late Russian Empire style ornament app...

Rectangular table snuffbox in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with translucent enamels fired on guilloche and hand-painted floral miniature; external blue staff. Art Nouveau sty...

Elevate your collection with this exquisite oval pill box, crafted from 925/1000 gold-plated sterling silver. This piece is adorned with a hand-painted fire-enameled miniature, echoi...

Round haped silver gilded 925/1000 table box with translucent enamels on guilloche with hand-painted floral miniatures and gold paillons Made in Italy 1.400 grams The Miniatures are hand-painted on a usually white homogeneous enamel base. The same colored glazes are used, but ground much finer, which are mixed with special oils to form an infinite palette of colors. The paint must be gradually dried on electric stoves...

SHIPPING POLICY: No additional costs will be added to this order. Shipping costs will be totally covered by the seller (customs duties included). Elizabeth II English sterling silver and enamel...

Lovely little sterling silver snuffbox, fully hallmarked with gold plated interior. Lovely chasing on lid and sides, classic high Victorian repousse w...

An exceptional, fine and impressive antique Edwardian English sterling silver and enamel box in the Art Nouveau style; an addition to the ornamental silverware collection. This exceptional antique Edwardian sterling silver box has a plain circular form. The box is fitted with a subtly domed, hallmarked push fit cover, embellished with an exceptional hot enameled panel depicting a female character in the form of a water nymph, gazing through ripples and water lilies, all in the iconic Art Nouveau style; this is a highly desirable and collectable scene. The sides and underside of this Art Nouveau box are plain and unembellished. This impressive box was crafted by the London silversmiths Walter...