English silver pair cased verge with erotic scene Circa 1752

Silver open faced pocket watch by J. Samson
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English silver pair cased verge pocket watch with enamel cartouche, Hallmarked London 1752. White enamel dial with Roman hours and Arabic minutes, gilt hands. The outer case has extravagant relief decoration, peripheral floral paintings, two castles, and a fine polychrome enamel painting. The quality and scene indicate Mussard‘s workshop, but it is a plain inner case.
Movement signed and numbered, case numbered, matching numbers on case and movement.
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Diameter: 50 mm
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Weight: 100 g
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Signed: J. Samson London
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The speciality of this watch is the enamel cartouche. Even back then, the artistic quality of these works was so highly regarded that these cartouches were used over a period of almost 100 years as decorative elements for movements and cases. Works from Mussard‘s workshop and Huaud were especially appreciated.
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Jean Mussard V was born and died in Geneva in 1681-1754. He was one of the best enamel painters of the early 18th century, the son of Jean IV and a cousin of the Huauds. He began his career as a goldsmith and became a Master on December 7th, 1699. He later became a painter of enamel, in which discipline the style of Les Frères Huaud influenced him. Although their work inspired him, his paintings were more according to the taste of the time; they showed religious designs and purely secular ones. He partnered with his son Jean-Antoine and trained several pupils, including Gabriel Fontaine, André Oettner and in 1712, Germain Colladon. The scene ‘The Death of Cleopatra’ can be found on several of his enamel watches, but two of his best known subjects are ‘Roman Charity’ and ‘Religious Scene’. His signature appears as ‘Mussard’, ‘Jean Mussard pinx’ and ‘Mussard pinx’.