Antique Solid silver and enamel erotic cigarette case 1900s

An antique solid silver and enamel Salome and St John the Baptist case - a rare and extremely finely executed pillow shape rectangular case showing an Art Deco image of Salome with the head of St John the Baptist.  Salome is pictured naked and jewelled dancing against a graphic red and white backgorund with a Negro servant offering up the head of St John the Baptist.  This image is a copy of a painting created by Adolf Frey-Moock who has borrowed the elements for this work from an artist to whom he was assistant in 1909, Franz Von Stuck. Von Stuck painted three versions of Salome all in 1906 and the artwork for this case, which was created between 1909 and 1910, combines elements of two of these to present a final image. It is executed over a translucent ground so that there are brilliant light effects through the enamel from a fine guilloche ground and then with added jewels on fingers arms and hair. Technically this is very complex and time consuming and as a result would have been a costly case to produce. The reverse of the case is plain and the hinged lid opens to reveal a fully gilded interior - marked 935 for a higher grade than Sterling silver to to the lip of the interior on both parts of the case - total weight 145.8grms - overall dimensions 88 x 80mm - c.1910 German or Swiss.

Condition notes: the case is in excellent condition, the enamel, apart from light scratches shows no evidence of major wear, chips, cracks or restoration. The silver, again shows only light scratches as expected for a case of this age, and some very small marks and light indentations to the back cover of the case which are mentioned for accuracy.