A fine mid-19^th century French silver and enamel match, Paris circa 1848 by Jules Wièse (1818-1910), for François-Désiré Froment-Meurice (1802-55)

Of elongated octagonal form with C scroll figured double C scroll handles surmounted by long tailed birds, all raised upon four cast and chased feet formed as twin tailed water dragons. The hinged spring-loaded lid surmounted by a winged cherub holding torches atop of a globe, with traces of gilding. One side with a cast and chased oval panel of Apolo in his chariot, the obverse with Hestia next to a fire. The body and lid with champlevé enamel of trailing foliage and panel of diaper work, otherwise with set cut paste. The interior revealed by pushing a mask, four section divided interior. The interior with FROMET MEURICE.

Height – 11 cm / 4.3 inches

Another nearly identical example was given to Prince Albert by Queen Victoria on his 29^th birthday, 26th August 1848 (Royal Collection Trust RCIN 41114)

A nearly identical example was sold Sotheby’s London 1 Nov 2017, lot 830 (£25,000 incl. prem)

A very similar example in black enamel was offered Sotheby’s New York, 5 April 2023, lot 397

Jules Wièse (1818-1910), originally a pupil of the goldsmith Hossauer in Berlin, migrated to Paris where he became a workman of Jean-Valentin Morel and then joined the celebrated Parisian goldsmith François-Désiré Froment-Meurice (1802- 1855) as a chef d'atelier and later a partner. It appears that Wièse set up his own establishment with twenty-five workmen in 1844 but still worked exclusively for his former employer and ran the workshop in 1855 after the death of the latter.