Precious solid silver jewelry box - Lot 229

Precious solid silver jewelry box Silver, red velvet Ottoman Empire, circa 1800 21 x 28 x 16 cm Weight : 3kg This precious solid silver box features a lavishly decorated back with cypresses and vases framed by columns. Geometric friezes separate the different registers. The other sides are decorated in succession, with large bunches of grapes in high relief, even on the hinges, and crescents. The sides are decorated with raised columns and stand on four spherical feet. Most often, silver caskets are made of silver leaf on a wooden core. Here, there is no economy of material. The quality of the decoration and the presence of bunches of grapes might suggest an object produced by Armenians in the Ottoman world, perhaps for the Greek market. The Greek community, very present in regions such as Macedonia during this period, produced or commissioned a number of chests with Baroque decor combining Byzantine Greek and Ottoman influences. Similar decorations can be found on more modest objects, such as powder flasks from the same period. Luxurious solid silver objects like this are rare.