Snuff, or powdered tobacco inhaled through the nose, became a fashionable pursuit in the early years of the 18th century. Ladies and gentlemen followed the appropriate coded manners and offered each other snuff from rich, elegant boxes in the latest styles.

As a fervent snuff-taker, Napoleon Bonaparte commissioned snuffboxes for personal use, which he then bequeathed to his entourage in his will. On becoming Emperor in 1804, he revived the tradition of diplomatic snuffboxes, which had been popular before the French Revolution, as a way to reinforce his family's newly established pre-eminence. Records show that he formed a strict hierarchy and budget for these boxes, from simple tortoiseshell to more lavish versions such as this gold example. Here, Napoleon is depicted with this imperial robe and wreath, while the reverse depicts the bee, the imperial symbol of the Bonaparte dynasty.

Moulinié, Bautte & Moynier were the most prominent Swiss goldsmiths and watchmakers in the early 19th century, providing astonishing creations for the European as well as the Chinese market.

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.