Italian
after Francois Boucher (French, 1703-1770)
Cigarette Case, ‘La Musette’, c 1930’s
gilt 800 silver, hand-painted enamel
3 5/8” long x 2 5/8” wide x ¾” high; 130.1 grams
Description: A decorative Italian cigarette case featuring a central enamel after ‘La musette’ (1753) by the French rococo artist Francois Boucher, the original currently in the collection of the Louvre.
The Arcadian pastoral landscape features a shepherd, walled on a log, holding in two hands the pipe of a bagpipe (la musette), which the shepherdess decorates with a delicate knot. A dog watches from behind the shepherd and a lamb from behind the shepherdess; the group is situated within a forest clearing and surrounded by roses.
Markings: impressed, ‘ITALY’ ’800’ on the push tab and Impressed ‘12’ inside the case and on supports
