ANTIQUE 18thC FRENCH 18k GOLD & ENAMEL SNUFF BOX, JOSEPH-ETIENNE BLERZY c.1780

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis (French: Ordre Royal et Militaire de Saint-Louis) is a dynastic chivalric order established on April 5, 1693, by King Louis XIV of France. Named after Saint Louis (King Louis IX), the order was created to reward exceptional military officers and was notable for being the first such honor that could be awarded to non-nobles.

It is regarded by the French Republic as a predecessor to the Legion of Honour, with which it shares the distinctive red ribbon, although the Legion of Honour is now awarded to both military personnel and civilians. While the Order was officially abolished by the government following the July Revolution in 1830, it continued to function as a dynastic order of the former royal family. Today, it is still recognised by the International Commission on Orders of Chivalry.

Pierre Victor, Baron de Besenval de Brünstatt (born Peter Joseph Viktor Besenval von Brunnstatt; 14 October 1721 – 2 June 1791), was a Swiss military officer who served in the French army.

Born in Solothurn, Switzerland, Besenval was the son of Johann Victor Besenval von Brünstatt, a colonel of the Swiss Guards in French service, and Katarzyna Bielińska, the daughter of Polish politician Kazimierz Ludwik Bieliński. His prestigious lineage connected him to both Swiss and Polish nobility.

Besenval joined the Swiss Guards as a cadet in 1731, rising quickly through the ranks. By 1738, he commanded the Besenval company of the regiment. His military career in the French army saw him promoted to brigadier in 1747, maréchal de camp in 1758, and lieutenant-general in 1762. That same year, he became inspector-general of Swiss troops in French service, where he played a pivotal role in the Duke of Choiseul's army reforms.

Throughout his career, Besenval held various key positions, serving as aide-de-camp to Victor François de Broglie during the 1748 Bohemian campaign, and later to the Duke of Orléans during the Seven Years' War. In 1767, he was appointed lieutenant colonel of the Swiss Guards and later became military governor of Haguenau.

Besenval’s influence grew after the accession of King Louis XVI, becoming a favorite of Queen Marie Antoinette. However, during the early days of the French Revolution, he was put in charge of the royal troops stationed in Paris in July 1789. His ineffective leadership contributed to the events leading up to the Storming of the Bastille. Attempting to flee to Switzerland, he was arrested and charged with the crime of lèse-nation, though he was acquitted in March 1790.

A noted art collector in his later years, Besenval retired to his residence, the Hôtel de Besenval in Paris, where he died on 2 June 1791. His life and legacy are often remembered for his military service and his connection to the French royal court during a time of great upheaval.

The miniature signed Hall.f for Pierre-Adolphe Hall. Peter Adolf Hall, also known as PA Hall or Peter Adolphe Hall (born 23 February 1739 in Borås, Sweden – died 15 May 1793 in Liège), was a Swedish-French artist primarily known for his exquisite miniature paintings. In May 1766, Hall began his artistic career in Paris, and just three years later, at the age of 30, he was elected to the prestigious French Academy of Fine Arts. Hall painted portraits of prominent figures, including the Dauphin of France, the future Louis XVI, and his two brothers, Louis XVIII and Charles X, who both ascended to the throne after the Revolution and the Napoleonic era. His talents earned him the title of *Peintre du Roi et des Enfants de France* (Court Painter to the King and the Children of France). From 1782 to 1787, according to an account book kept by his wife, Hall painted an average of 70 portraits annually, primarily of nobility and fashionable society. His annual income during this period was approximately 25,000 livres, reflecting his success and demand as a court painter.

On 27 February 1750, Joseph-Etienne Blerzy became apprentice to François-Joachim Aubert, a goldsmith who had specialised in mounting tortoiseshell and lacquer snuff boxes. Aubert also acted as sponsor in 1768 when Blerzy became master, from the pont au Change. His shop remained on the bridge until 1785 when all the houses were destroyed in order to widen the road. Blerzy subsequently moved to the rue de la Monnaie 41, and sometime before 1798 to the rue du Coq St. Honoré where he is recorded in the Almanach de Commerce in 1806 with his brother Etienne-Lucien. Blerzy was one of the most accomplished late eighteenth century Parisian gold box makers, and examples made during his long career can be found in most of the major museum collections for decorative arts, such as the Gilbert Collection in the Victoria & Albert Museum (e. g. inv. no 370-2008), or the Metropolitan Museum of Art (inv. no. 17.190.1130).

CONDITION

In Great Condition - Wear expected with age. Please refer to photographs. 

SIZE

Height: 2.5 cm // 0.98 in
Width: 7.3 cm // 2.87 in
Weight: 130 g // 4.59 oz