Extraordinary ivory: hp & signed animals, botanicals, jesters Exceptional gambling / games box & counters. Made of natural substances. Signed, hand-engraved and painted. Paris, France, 18th century. Measures a little over 3 1/4 inches long by 2 3/8inches wide. Rectangular box with hinged lid. Hinges believed to be original. Top and inside of lid and underneath bottom of lid are all handengraved and painted with an amazing assortment of human figures, animals, insects and beautiful botanicals: The top of the lid has a fruit and foliage-filled border. A pair of oval reserves on the sides each contain a figure of entertainment: one has a dancing minstrel beating time with his tambourine. The other has a Pierrot type figure. Possibly both were well-known theatrical figures. The top corners each contain an insect/butterfly while one corner shows a long-eared animal - possibly a rabbit of sorts, and the other a little prancing dog. The center of the top of the lid has an attached wheel that is moved by a brass knob. A hatch in the wheel displays the numbers, presumably for score-keeping. Underneath the base is beautifully decorated with a squirrel sitting amidst a floral and foliate display, insects hovering above. It is utterly charming as the long-nosed and long-eared critter smells the flowers. The inside bottom of the box has an attached scrolling metal reinforcement/decoration, very delicate and original to the box. The inside of the lid is beautifully painted with a botanical arrangement, depicted with great artistic ability and sensitivity. A panel at the bottom of this has a handwritten script that reads: Marixual le Jeune a Paris. Fecir. This was one of the best known makers of similar boxes in Paris of the time. WIthin, the box has a number of gambling chips. Some round, some rectangular, with canted corners and a pair of long rectangles. All are beautifully painted in the same hand as the rest of the decoration. Both sides are painted. The rectangles have numbers engraved in black in the center. While other boxes of this type can occasionally be found, this box has particularly beautiful decoration and is in very good, original condition. Status: For Sale Reference#: 2500 Condition: good Year: 1700 Title: ANTIQUE FRENCH 18C GAMES GAMBLING BOX CHIPS HP FIGURES

Decorative Interior
Antique Boxes & Caddies