97 - FREDERIC HEWSON, A VICTORIAN SILVER-GILT AND ENAMEL VESTA CASE

FREDERIC HEWSON, A VICTORIAN SILVER-GILT AND ENAMEL VESTA CASE LONDON, 1896 The hinged cover chased in high relief with two exotic birds among flower-heads and elaborate foliate C-scrolls on a matt black ground, the front edge with the motto 'DIEU TE GARDE' (God protect you) in white enamel, the sides similarly chased, the base with a serrated steel striker panel. With rose-cut diamond thumbpiece. Maker's mark for Frederic Hewson London hallmarks Size/dimensions: 7.00cm long; 4.00cm wide Gross weight: 98.00g The diamond is secure and the enamel is in good condition. There are small signs of wear consistent with use and some small patches of verdigris. The hinge is in perfect working order, and the case is offered in good condition. Most vesta cases of this period were plain or simply engraved silver. Enamelled and jewelled examples were luxury pieces, often given as gifts. This case, made by Frederic Hewson, is unusually rich, with exotic birds chased in high relief among flowers and scrolls against a matt black ground, in the taste for exotic and Japanese-inspired ornament fashionable in the late Victorian period. It has a rose-cut diamond thumbpiece, and the white enamel motto DIEU TE GARDE, “God protect you”, runs along its front edge. The motto suggests that it was made as a gift, a small talisman for a journey or a parting.