GEORGE ADAM SCHEID 1900 Enameled Guilloche Etui Necessaire box In .800 Silver
Enameled etui necessaire designed by George Adam Scheid (1837-1921).
This is an extraordinary etui necessaire oval box created in Vienna Austria at the workshops of George Adam Scheid, back in 1900. The travel necessaire is very rare, elegant and was finely crafted during the Edwardian period in solid .800/.999 silver. It is decorated with engine turned guilloche which is topped with translucent green and cream glass enamels and embellished with neoclassical patterns of flowers, garlands and bows made up by hand paint. Fitted with a lid with a three barrels hinge and a pressure thumb. This box is very useful since inside there are six concealed compartments in which are stored a carbon pencil, a tablet for writing short notes, a folding scissors, a file, a plegable blade with its fitting and a hook.
Etuis
These objects were once carried by important members of society to carry tiny toiletries, sealing wax, personal effects, and also concealing correspondence between lovers. Confidential notes would be tucked inside the box, which would then have been sealed with wax for security. Extremely stunning in its artistry and craftsmanship, this etui reflects the taste for classical ornamentation.
Weight: 167.5 Grams, (107.4 Dwt).
Measurements: 44.5 mm by 28 mm by 83 mm (1.75 x 1.10 x 3.26 Inches).
Hallmarks: The box and the utensils are stamped with Austrian-Hungarian Empire marks; the mark for the city of Vienna, the maker's mark GAS associated to George Adam Scheid, the official hexagonal mark for the warranty of the silver, the mark 800 for the .800/.999 silver assay, the enameller mark K and signed as follows; "G.A.S. .800".
Georg Adam Scheid
He was born in Schönau Baden, Württemberg on July 28 1837. He started his apprenticeship in 1853 and operated afterwards in Pforzheim and Stuttgart. In 1858 he came to Vienna and entered the workshop of the gold, silver goods producer and jeweler Michael Markowitsch. He married one of Markowitsch daughters and in 1862 the company was renamed Markowitsch & Scheid and adopted the mark M & S. It was located in Sandwirtgasse 8, and then in Gumpendorfer Straße 83. In 1882 they separated and Shied started his own flourishing operation, employing up to 300 workers. The silver decoration factory was named "G. A. Sheid" and used different marks. It was located in Gumpendorfer Straße 85. Markowitsch & Scheid was then owned by Adolf Markowitsch alone, a son of Michael Markowitsch, and kept the same mark, the company shut down in 1898. Specialities of Sheid's factory were cigarette cases, powder boxes, write sets, toilet sets as well as jewelry boxes, which were also sold in large quantities in Germany, France, Italy, Great Britain, Belgium and Spain. To ensure the supply of raw materials in 1888 Scheid opened up his own refinery where, from precious metal wastes, raw material as well as semi-manufactured products, as sheet metals and wires were produced. The operation grew rapidly and covered not only his own requirement but goods were also exported abroad and with the establishment of sister operations in Budapest (1891), Prague (1920) and Bucharest (1923) Scheid took control of the market. In 1894 the sons Arthur (1870-1897) and Robert (1872-1950), as well as his nephew George (1850-1937), stepped in as partners. In 1911 George Adam Scheid withdrew from the business life and Robert and Georg Scheid took over. Robert and his younger brother Ludwig (1886-1960) then assumed the management. After the First World War, fall of the overseas market for the decoration sector and the bad economic situation led, as a consequence, to the liquidation of the decoration factory, while the "Affinerie" continued and in 1962 merged with the Ludwig Roessler GmbH to form the ÖGUSSA GmbH, which still exists today.
Guilloché
This term is used in fine jewelry to enhance the appearance of brooches, rings and pendants. Guilloché enamel refers to metal pieces that have been given the Guilloché treatment and then covered with a translucent layer of enamel, giving the geometric patterns underneath the enamel a colorful hue.
Literature: Eric Schaling, George Adam Scheid, A Remarkable Viennese Silversmith, 2018. For similar objects illustrated.
Condition: The overall condition of this George Adam Scheid Etui is excellent. Beside the little normal wear, there is no damage to the silver. The enameled parts are secured in the settings. This piece has been carefully inspected to guarantee the condition and authenticity.
INVENTORY REF: D020125AMNS/4.296
