A jeweled gold & guilloché enamel Russian Imperial presentation snuff box, I. Heide, St. Petersburg, circa 1860. Of cartouche form with bombé sides, the lid centered with an oval plaque enameled translucent royal blue over a wavy engine-turned ground applied with the diamond-set crowned cypher of Emperor Alexander II, surrounded by a band of thirty-six alternating rose & Old European cut diamonds, the hinged lid with raised & engraved scrolling foliate ornament on a matted ground & set with six large Old European cut diamonds in silver collet mounts, the sides of the box applied with a cast, chased, & engraved scroll & diaperwork motif, the underside engraved with conforming ornament against ribbed ground, raised on shaped red gold foot, the base of the interior struck with master’s mark I˙HEIDE, 56 standard, St. Petersburg city mark, & the mark of assay master Alexander Mitin (active 1842-1877) with date obscured, the front of the flange struck with St. Petersburg city mark, the left with scratch mark 626/Ф & the right with scratch mark 503B.

Dimensions: 1 7/8 x 3 5/8 x 2 1/2 in. (4.7 x 9.2 x 6.3 cm).