The portrait of the Emperor Napoleon I on this box is taken from a painting by Jean-Baptiste Isabey (1767-1855). Although the image was frequently reproduced, both in Isabey's workshop and by other miniaturists, Napoleon himself disliked it. In August 1807, he wrote to Marechal Duroc that the Empress Josephine "a été fort mécontente des portraits de M. Isabey et elle désirait, ou qu'il fasse mieux ou que l'on employe un autre peintre" (she was strongly displeased with the portraits of Mr Isabey and wished him either to do better or for another painter to be employed).

It has been reproduced in glass micromosaic by Antonio Aguatti of Rome. Micromosaic is a technique in which tiny coloured glass 'tessarae' are placed with tweezers on a surface coated with a slow drying adhesive. The variety of colours available allowed artists to reproduce the tonal range of oil paintings with an extraordinary degree of detail. It was a speciality of Italian workshops, especially in Rome and Florence.

According to the documentation accompanying this box, it may once have been owned by Martin-Michel-Charles Gaudin, Duc de Gaëte. Gaudin was Napoleon's minister of finance, credited with reestablishing French finances after the disastrous abuse of paper money after the Revolution. Gaudin founded the Banque de France in 1800.

Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world’s great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.