Lot 154: A GERMAN ENAMELLED GOLD PRESENTATION SNUFF-BOX SET WITH A JEWELLED MINIATURE

by Friedl„nder Brothers, Berlin, marked, the miniature by Johannes Zehngraf (1857-1908), signed Oval box, the cover enamelled in translucent green on a guilloch‚ ground engraved with a radiating sunburst motif, within a raised gold laurel wreath border, the lid centred by an oval glazed portrait miniature of Princess Marie-Louise of Bulgaria in white dress wearing rich jewellery, within a rose-cut diamond border, the base of the box of polished gold with dimpled borders, within the original octagonal silk and velvet lined gilt-stamped red morocco presentation case applied with a pierced gilt-metal princely coronet 33/4 in. (95 mm.) wide PROVENANCE Presented by King Ferdinand I of Bulgaria to his Court Marshal Count Robert de Bourboulon on 14 July 1902. Thence by family descent. NOTES Princess Marie-Louise of Bourbon-Parma (1870-1899), second of the 23 children of Robert Duke of Parma, was married in 1893 to Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Prince and later King of Bulgaria. Her best-known sister was Empress Zita. Her four children included the future King Boris III of Bulgaria and Prince Cyril who was executed in 1945.