DISPLAY ITEMS

DROUOT-RICHELIEU - Room 3

9, rue Drouot - 75009 Paris

Tuesday 19 October 2021, at 2.30 pm

"Objects of Virtue

Mr M. Collection (1st sale)

Collection of Mrs G.

Public exhibitions room 3

Saturday 16 October 2021, from 11am to 6pm

Monday 18 October 2021, from 11am to 6pm

Tuesday 19 October 2021, from 11 am to 12 pm

Experts :

SC Émeric & Stephen PORTIER, Émeric PORTIER, expert jeweler

Lots 1 to 190

Mr M's collection

Here is a collection of a passionate of what the English call "objets de vertu" in French (in their language) and whose translation remained in France

as it is.

From the 17th to the 19th centuries, these are tobacco boxes, pill boxes, dragees and all objects whether religious, utilitarian, whimsical or scientific.

These boxes answered a desire to show one's social status, one's friendship, one's passions and were frequently used as gifts, an indispensable accessory in a society

where appearances allowed one to fit into society.

All materials were used: gold, enamel, porcelain, precious stones, tortoiseshell, horn, ivory, corozo, boxwood, pompom, silver, shell and mother of pearl.

Some of these boxes were decorated with miniatures, which explains their profusion in this collection.

Even if this collection is not comparable to those of the Cognacq Jay, the Louvre or the Wallace, it reflects the collector's attraction to charm.

In this variety of objects that are not of primary use, we could translate this passion by the adage: "it is beautiful therefore it is useful".

Olivier RIEUNIER