An 18k gold Frederician snuff box
Moulded rectangular box with curved push-button. Decorated to all faces with finely chased Frederician Rococo ornament relief. The lid with a stylised garden building, the outer faces and base with arches, trellis motifs and flowerheads. Inside the box is a hand-written note on paper that reads: "Diese Dose stammt von Feldmarschaff Grf. Yorck u. wurde von dessen Sohne, für den mein Großvater Neupetsch die Kindschaft gehabt hatte, an diesen geschenkt als Andenken. Diese Dose soll nach meinem Tode mein Enkel Hermann Krafft bekommen und stets in Ehren halten. N." 4.3 x 7.8 x 6.5 cm. Weight 158.18 g.
Circa 1750.
Johann David Ludwig von Yorck, known as Yorck von Wartenburg since 1814 (Potsdam 1759 - 1830 Klein Öls), enjoyed a successful career in the Prussian army under Friedrich Wilhelm III, achieving the rank of General Field Marshall. He was raised to the rank of Count in 1814 due to his outstanding services in the Franco-Prussian wars, the Russian Campaign, and the German Campaign of 1813. He received the former Maltese commandery of Klein-Öls in Lower Silesia and Beethoven named his famous march in F major after the general. His only surviving son, to whom he presented this box as a keepsake, went down in history as the politician and art collector Hans David Ludwig Graf Yorck von Wartenburg (Mittenwalde 1805 - 1865 Klein Öls).