Gold snuff-box (18k) of rectangular shape rounded at the angles, the sides slightly baluster, hinged, with chiseled decoration of foliage scrolls on sandblasted fons, the reverse with central decoration of a seedling of shells in a reserve, the cover decorated in the center with the LPO cipher for Louis Philippe d'Orléans under the crown of Prince du Sang, enhanced with royal blue enamel, in an oval reserve with a sandblasted bottom.

Very good condition.

Paris, 1827-1830 (circa 1829).

Hallmark of 3rd title and large guarantee (1819-1838).

3rd title hallmark with bear head (1795-1838).

Goldsmith: Louis-François TRONQUOY (active 1827-1871).

Carries inside a piece of paper written in English mentioning the addressee of the present: "Presented by His Royal Highness the Duke of Orleans to Captain Sir W. Edward Parry, May 30th, 1829".

Gross weight: 126.8 g. H. 1.9 x L. 8.5 x D. 5.3 cm.

Present given by Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orleans (1773-1850) to Sir William Edward Parry (1790-1855), May 30, 1829.

Sir William Edward Parry was an admiral of the Royal Navy, explorer of the Arctic. He retired in 1827 after a fourth expedition to the North Pole, then became a hydrographer. His portrait by Samuel Drummond around 1820 is in the National Portrait Gallery in London (inv. NPG 5053, ill. 1).

This type of snuffbox was offered by members of the royal family of France as a thank you for services rendered. The Duke of Orleans will become the King of the French a year later under the name of Louis-Philippe Ier.

Louis-François, son of Jean-François Tronquoy and Louise Ferdinande Morin was born on 20 May 1798 at 639 rue des 4 vents, Paris 11. He first entered a mark for la tabatière on 4 January 1827 from 8 rue des Prouvaires, probably taking over the business and premises of the box-maker Simon-Achille Léger. Tronquoy continued to work at the same address until 28 June 1871. Following current fashions, Tronquoy’s work developed from transitional delicately-engraved Restauration boxes, such as this example, to the more colourful enamelled and jewelled presentation boxes of the Second Empire.

A gold snuff-box by Tronquoy with cipher of Louis-Philippe in diamonds, circa 1840, was sold at Sotheby's Paris, La collection Ribes I, December 11, 2019, lot 41.