Inspection off.
Move the pointer across the plate for a magnified crop, as you would run a loupe over the surface in the viewing room. Using a keyboard, step between the named details instead.
Further plates
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Macro detail, raking light. -
Detail.
Continental
Probably Geneva, circa 1830
A gold and enamel vinaigrette
Gold with champlevé enamel and a pierced gilt grille
Length 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm)
Bidding on lot 47
Current bid
$2,000
- Estimate
- $3,000 – 5,000
- Next minimum
- $2,250
- Increment here
- $250
- Closes
- Wed, Sep 9, 4:00 PM EDT
Anti-sniping
A bid placed inside the final 3 minutes of this lot extends its close by a further 3 minutes, from the moment of the bid, and does so again for every bid inside the window. Only this lot is extended; the rest of the sale runs on. The rule exists so that a lot is won by the highest bidder rather than by whoever has the fastest connection in the last two seconds. The countdown above shows the extension as it happens.
Or bid another way
- Absentee. Leave a written maximum with the clerk. The house bids on your behalf up to it, and no higher, taking the lot as cheaply as the competition allows.
- Telephone. A member of staff calls you before the lot and bids to your instruction. Arranged at least 24 hours in advance.
- In the room. Register at the desk and take a paddle number.
Demonstration site. Hammer & Co is a fictional auction house; every lot, estimate, bid, result and provenance chain on this site is invented for the purpose of showing the design. No bid placed here is a real bid and nothing here is offered for sale.
Catalogue note
The cover enamelled in translucent royal blue over an engine-turned ground, within a chased gold border, the interior with a pierced and gilt grille. Unmarked, as much Geneva goldwork of this date is.
Condition report
Very good Reported by Rosalind Achebe on August 29, 2026
The enamel with two hairline stress lines at the hinge end, stable and not chipped. The grille is complete and hinged correctly. The interior gilding is worn at the centre. The catch is crisp.
A condition report is an opinion, honestly held, given as a courtesy and not a warranty. It is not a substitute for examining the lot yourself, and the absence of a reference to a defect does not imply that the lot is free from it. Every lot is sold as is.
Provenance
- by 1962 Collection of a New York family.
- to date By descent.
Every provenance chain on this demonstration site is invented. No real collection, sale or ownership history is described.
The bidding ladder
Bids step by a published ladder, not a percentage. At $2,000 the step is $250, so the next admissible bid is $2,250. The auctioneer may vary the increment at their discretion.
| Bid at | Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 – $199 | $10 |
| $200 – $499 | $25 |
| $500 – $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 – $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 – $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 – $9,999 | $500 |
| $10,000 – $19,999 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 – $49,999 | $2,000 |
| $50,000 – $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 – $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 – $499,999 | $20,000 |
| $500,000 – $999,999 | $50,000 |
| $1,000,000 and above | $100,000 |
