An early 19th century Swiss gold and enamelled novelty butterfly vinaigrette,
by Sène & Detalla, Geneva, circa 1805,
shaped as a butterfly with outstretched wings, the hinged cover painted en plein with a finely detailed butterfly with orange, blue and red wings, opening to reveal a centre-hinged grille pierced and engraved with outswept feather scrolls, the sides with an upper band of blue and white champlevé enamelled leaves and beads above a band of translucent blue enamel interrupted by panels of lozenges and sunbursts, the base with translucent blue enamel over a wavy ground to simulate butterfly-wing irradesence, length 4.2cm.