45 - Rectangular snuffbox with rounded edges, made of 18k gold (750 parts per thousand)

Rectangular snuffbox with rounded edges, made of 18k gold (750 parts per thousand) The hinged lid is inlaid over its entire surface with a miniature painting—likely on enamel—depicting the mosque in the landscaped garden of Schwetzingen Palace (Baden-Württemberg), with a border formed by 80 fine half-pearls; the sides are decorated on each side with four rectangular panels of royal blue and dark blue enamel featuring a series of guilloché ovals framed by a white enamel border; at the corners, a covered vase with a handle in gold, white, and black enamel on an azure blue enamel background (small chips); the background is enameled in royal blue and dark blue with a central rectangular reserve decorated with a guilloché lattice of undulating cells, framed by a white enamel border and a frieze of floral scrolls in gold accented with white on an azure blue field. A few chips in the enamel. Swiss work, Geneva, early 19th century, likely made for the Ottoman market. Silversmith: GRC for Jean-Georges Rémond (1752–1830) and his firm Georges Rémond & Cie. H. 1.7 x W. 8.8 x D. 6.2 cm. Gross weight: 121.9 g. Provenance - Martial Lapeyre Collection (1904–1984). - Fondation Napoléon (Paris) following the bequest by Martial Lapeyre in 1984. History Located about ten kilometers from Heidelberg (Germany), Schloss Schwetzingen was one of the principal summer residences of the Electors of the Palatinate. Of medieval origin, it was remodeled in the 17th and 18th centuries, particularly during the reign of Charles Theodore of Palatinate-Sulzbach (1724–1799), Elector of the Palatinate from 1742, and also Elector of Bavaria from 1777 onward. A great patron of the arts and lover of architecture, Charles Theodore turned Schwetzingen into a brilliant center of court life, welcoming artists, musicians, and intellectuals. Above all, he undertook the creation of a vast garden, combining the geometric precision of French gardens with the picturesque compositions of the English landscape garden. The most unique structure in the park is undoubtedly its mosque, built between 1779 and 1795 by the Lorraine architect Nicolas de Pigage (1723–1796) at the request of Charles-Théodore. Inspired by Eastern architecture, it features a central dome, two minarets, arcaded galleries, and richly decorated pavilions. However, this mosque was not intended for Muslim worship. Designed as a garden structure, it reflects the 18th-century European fascination with the East and the Enlightenment ideals of religious tolerance. Drawing inspiration in particular from William Chambers’ work at Kew Gardens in England and the designs of Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, it stands today as one of the most remarkable and best-preserved examples of Orientalist architecture in 18th-century European gardens.