Two snuffboxes sold at Sotheby's, London
Nov. 11, 1968 - Not to be sneezed at - New world record price 23, 000 paid for snuffbox at Sotheby's: Two historic snuffboxes, at stolex from Lord Rendlesham 14 years ago and found by interpol in vienna, were sold at Sotheby's auction in London today. Pawned in Vienna, they were taken by the pawnbroker to the Kunethistorisches Museum when he realized they were called in and the snuffboxes were returned to Lord Rendlesham six months after they were stolen. The sunffboxes were made in Paris in the 1720s for Louis XV, king of France, as royal gifts to foreign envoys. One of them, fashioned in gold and tortoiseshell, has inside the lid a portrait miniature of Louis XV at the age of 18, and painted by Jean Baptiste Masse, a ministurist the French Royal Family. It was made by Jacques Michel Lemaire, a Paris jeweller. It was sold today for 8, 500. The other snuffbox is set with diamonds and gold, including a diamond monogram of Louis XV and his polish wife, Marie Leozinska, and inside the lid are miniatures of Louise XV and his polish wife, Painted and inserted nearly twenty years after the snuffbox was made by Daniel Gvaers, main supplier of the fgold snuffboxes King Louis presented to foreign diplomate. This axe was sold today at Sotheby's for the world record price of 23, 000. Photo shows One of the snuffboxes sold at Sotheby's today for a record price of 23, 000. On the outside it has a diamond monogram of Louis XV and his Polish wife, Marie Leczinska. While on the inside of the lid are miniatures of the Royal couple. The snuffbox is set with diamonds and gold
