Large perfume box in the "Troubadour" style. - Lot 270

Large perfume box in the "Troubadour" style. Gilt bronze frame. Ivory veneered lid and sides (cracked). Rich ormolu and silvered exterior trim: -Compass lid decorated with three silvered medallions depicting Troubadour scenes. -Keyhole decorated with garlands of flowers and saints. -Lateral grips adorned with foliage and supported by two angels. The canted corners are decorated with silvered bronze thinkers. Ivory interior and bottle compartments. Glass flasks with gilded screw-on lids, decorated with allegories and foliage. Mid-19th century Dimensions: 27 x 51 x Ht 15 cm. A.B.E. Key missing. Provenance: - According to family tradition, the box came from Hortense Cornu née Lacroix, goddaughter of Queen Hortense; by descent via her niece Louise Hortense Joséphine Marie Lacroix (died April 30, 1923). Related work: - A similar box in the art trade, signed SUSSE FRERES, with heather veneered interior. Biography: Mme Hortense Cornu (1809-1875), née Hortense Lacroix. Under the wing of her godmother, Queen Hortense, she was raised and educated with the latter's son, Louis-Napoléon, the future Napoléon III. An accomplished intellectual, she became a person of influence under the Second Empire, particularly in the cultural sphere, sharing a passion for history and archaeology with Napoleon III. 3000/5000€