Snuffbox
- Place of origin:
- Date:
- Artist/Maker:
Vachette, Adrien-Jean-Maximilien, born 1753 - died 1839 (maker)
- Materials and Techniques:
Chased gold, enamel and glazed miniatures on ivory
- Credit Line:
The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
- Museum number:
- Gallery location:
- Image in copyright
The painted miniatures show the Triumph of Bacchus and the drunkenness of Silenus. Bacchus and Silenus were Greek mythological figures, associated with wine and drunken revelry. They were painted by Jacques-Joseph de Gault, a prolific artist specialising in imitating cameos. A number of boxes mounted with his miniatures survive: thirteen are in the Musée du Louvre and others in public and private collections. He was commissioned to paint a jewel cabinet for the French queen Marie-Antoinette.
The maker of the box, Adrien-Jean-Maximilien Vachette was part of an illustrious dynasty of goldsmiths. When he became a master, he was sponsored by Pierre-François Drais. He later worked with Charles Ouizille.
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.
On long-term loan to Los Angeles County Museum from 2010.
Physical description
A rectangular, enamelled gold snuffbox with rounded corners, set with grisaille miniatures depicting on the cover the Triumph of Bacchus, on the base the Drunkenness of Silenus, and around the walls bacchic festivities, mounted under glass in gold frames chased with a translucent green and opalescent enamel guilloche. The corners of the box have pairs of chased gold pilasters.
Place of Origin
Paris, France (made)
Date
1782-1783 (made)
Artist/maker
Vachette, Adrien-Jean-Maximilien, born 1753 - died 1839 (maker)
Materials and Techniques
Chased gold, enamel and glazed miniatures on ivory
Marks and inscriptions
JJ de Gault
Dimensions
Length: 8.6 cm, Width: 6.6 cm, Height: 3.1 cm
Descriptive line
Snuffbox with triumph of Bacchus, gold, enamel and glazed miniatures. Paris, box: Adrien-Jean-Maximilien Vachette, miniatures: Jean-Jacques de Gault, 1782-83
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Habsburg-Lothringen, Géza von. Gold boxes from the collection of Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert. R. & A. Gilbert, 1983, 125 p., ill. Cat no. 52, pp. 99-100. ISBN. 0961039809.
Truman, Charles.The Gilbert collection of gold boxes, Vol. I. Los Angeles (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) 1991, cat. no. 32, pp. 108-10. ISBN.0875871623
Williams, Elizabeth A. The Gilbert Collection at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Los Angeles (Los Angeles County Museum of Art), 2010, fig. 46, p. 80. ISBN 9780875872100
Exhibition History
Gold Boxes from the Gilbert Collection (Los Angeles County Museum of Art 01/01/1986-31/12/1987)
Gold Boxes from the Gilbert Collection (Virginia Museum of Fine Arts)
Gold Boxes from the Gilbert Collection (Los Angeles County Museum of Art 01/01/1986-31/12/1987)
Production Note
The author of the miniatures was erroneously identified as Pierre-Marie de Gault Saint Germain by Géza von Habsburg-Lothringen (1983, no.52). He has however, been correctly identified elsewhere (Jeannerat, 1935, pp.221-35) as Jacques-Joseph de Gault (1738
Materials
Gold; Enamel; Glass; Ivory
Techniques
Painting; Enamelling; Chasing; Grisaille
Subjects depicted
Bacchus; Silenus; Chariots (ancient vehicles); Drunkenness
Categories
Containers; Metalwork
Collection code
MET
