A Louis XV late-18^th century French 18 carat gold mounted portrait miniature inset snuff box, Paris 1772 by Pierre-Guillaume Sallot (active 1750-93)

Of circular form with pull off lid, with chased gold mounts of trailing quatrefoils. The base of alternating strips of inset abalone shell, gold inlayed abalone shell and chased gold strips. The top of lid inset with an oval painted portrait miniature of a young lady in a yellow dress with her ribbon tied hair in high coiffure, glazed. The miniature within a chased mount of trailing laurel wreathes with crossed trophies below. The interior with tortoiseshell lining, the interior of the lid with an incised and gilt impaled coat of arms within a shield shaped cartouche. Marked with makers mark, partially obscured ?GS and a star, date letter crowned I (15^th July 1772 - 16^th July 1773), charge and discharge mark for Julien Alaterre (1^st Oct 1768- 18^th Nov 1774) and additionally stamped with incuse I&R.

Diameter – 7.9 cm / 3 inches

Weight – 99 grams

The arms are for one implaing Württemberg

Pierre-Guillaume Sallot was apprenticed to Louis Saltret in Paris on 6^th February 1737. Then living in the rue de la Savonnerie, he became master in 1750, sponsored by Jean-Charles Ducrollay, and entered as maker's mark the initials PGS with a crown différent. He is recorded as working, in both gold and silver, at various addresses until 1793. Henri Nocq noted that although Sallot's différent is described as a crown, only the mark seen on the present example, PGS a star, is to be found on objects (Le poinçon de Paris, Paris, 1926-1931, vol. IV, p. 10).

A box by Sallot in gold mounted oriental lacquer of 1781 was sold Sotheby's London, 3 July 2012, lot 174 (£12,500 hammer)