Fine Ebony & Inlaid Jewellery Box / Casket by Paul Sormani - Paris c.1860

A fine ebony and inlaid jewellery box or casket by Paul Sormani, Paris, which is of somewhat baroque form, this fine casket is ornamented throughout with inlaid brass strapwork and mother of pearl flower motifs. Each corner features baluster form brass columns. The inside of the casket retains its original deep crimson silk velvet and the hinges are beautifully engraved with contrasting steel screws, the overall effect being similar to a fine watch of the period. The Lock plate housing engraved with Sormani’s name and Paris address. Sormani was one of the very best luxury goods and furniture makers active in France in the mid-19th century. Born in Italy in 1817, he moved to Paris, setting up his own workshop in 1847. Clients of his firm included members of the French and international royal families, with particularly close links to Empress Eugénie, the wife of emperor Napoleon III. Sormani exhibited widely in the international exhibitions of the period such as the two in Paris in 1855 and 1867 and the London exhibition of 1862. His work was very critically acclaimed and he won several medals and much praise in the process. The firm continued after Sormani’s death in 1877, continued by his widow and son, but the form of the firm’s branding makes it clear that this piece was made in Sormani’s lifetime. Sormani’s work is eagerly sought-after by museums and private collectors and we are delighted to be able to offer this piece to our clientele.