Box or jewelry box. Baccarat or Palais Royal. Empire period, ca. 1810.

Box or jewelry box. Baccarat or Palais Royal. Empire period, ca. 1810.
Cut crystal.
Mounts in gilded bronze.
Measurements: 14 × 9 × 9,5 cm.

Elegant cut crystal jewelry box, from the First French Empire period. It is mounted with delicate gilded bronze structures finely chiseled. The piece has a rectangular shape, with body and lid of translucent crystal cut in geometric motifs, characteristic of the French luxury production of the time, associated with manufactures such as Baccarat or the exclusive houses of Le Palais Royal.

The gilded bronze frames, which outline the mouth and the edges of the lid, are decorated with a frieze of incised flowers and leaves, achieving a harmonious contrast between the transparency of the crystal and the warm glow of the metal. The purity of the lines, the symmetry of the design and the refinement of the finishes fully evoke the neoclassical and imperial taste, inspired by classical antiquity and promoted during Napoleon I's reign.