China, ca. 1740-1780. The oval container with straight sides rising to a gently domed cover. Finely worked in multiple overlapping reliefs of silver and gold, all neatly incised to depict a ‘European’ landscape with animals and buildings along a river amidst trees and shrubs with distant rocky mountains in the background.

Several fine details are picked out with rose and yellow gold, framed within a band of ruby bead embellishments (the neatly inlaid, microscopic beads are made from ruby paste). The sides with a continuous band reserved with four cartouches depicting weapons and tools as well as plants, all divided by columns and surmounted by a band of intertwined double-spiral scroll.

The base is meticulously engraved with a still life subject enclosed within three bands of geometric and spiral borders in sunken relief. The container opens to reveal a mirror inside the cover.

Provenance: The private collection of Jules Speelman, London, United Kingdom. Bonhams Hong Kong, The Speelman Collection of Chinese ‘Imperial Tribute’ Snuff Boxes, 24 November 2013, lot 4, estimate HKD 600,000 or approx. EUR 92,000 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). Jules Speelman is a world-leading dealer and collector of East Asian art with 60 years of experience. In 1964 he joined his late father, Alfred, in the family business which already stretched back three generations to 19th century Holland and expanded into England around the turn of the century. Originally, A & J Speelman dealt with antiques, from European ceramics, silver, tapestries, and furniture to Chinese porcelain, and works of art. With his father, Jules gradually shifted the focus towards Asia and under Jules Speelman's skilled direction, A & J Speelman is now considered amongst the foremost dealers in Asian antiques, with a particular emphasis on figurative sculpture and works of art from the past 2000 years.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, traces of use, minimal manufacturing flaws, minor scratches to the base, and one of the ruby beads possibly replaced.
Metallurgy: The applied relief decor is made from silver, yellow gold, and rose gold. Each metal adds a distinct hue and texture to the composition. The body itself is made from a copper alloy, expertly gilded to enhance its warm, golden tone. There is some natural wear to the gilding from centuries of careful handling. The interplay of all the metals used in this box not only highlights the artisan's skill but also lends a rich, layered visual depth to the object.

Weight: 202.4 g
Dimensions: Length 8.8 cm

Chinese court officials were fascinated by Western accessories, and thus a small number of snuff boxes were created in China during the earlier 18th century to amuse top-level court officials. The main manufacturing center was Canton, where expert craftsmen attempted to do complete copies of the few European boxes brought by foreign merchants, to make elaborate and beautiful 'Imperial Tributes' as gifts to senior Beijing court members. The boxes they managed to create are entirely Chinese and combine the superb craftsmanship of local artists with a foreign object, thus falling within the remarkable tradition of Chinese artisans commissioned by rich Chinese patrons to create amusing and often unfamiliar Western-style shapes that have no origin in the Chinese traditional decorative arts. Such boxes are extremely rare and often surpass their European originals in quality.

Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related gilt-metal famille-rose ‘peacock’ snuff box with similar designs and craftsmanship toward the exterior, currently in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Hou, Yi-li, Lifting the Spirit and Body: The Art and Culture of Snuff Bottles, Taipei, 2012, p. 81, fig. 1.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 24 November 2013, lot 15
Price: HKD 1,060,000 or approx. EUR 163,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A very fine and rare embellished gilt-bronze oblong octagonal ‘European landscape’ snuff box and cover, Qianlong, circa 1740-1760
Expert remark: Compare this snuff box from the same ‘Imperial Tribute’ group as the present lot, with similar ruby paste embellishments. Note the size (7.3 cm).