This snuffbox is typical of northern European production, yet its maker and origins remain partly an enigma. Norbertus Heylbrouck was an engraver who became Master of the Royal Mint in Bruges. In 1735, Norbertus was condemned to death for counterfeiting, but he was later granted a reprieve. He returned to Bruges in 1749, where he continued as Master of the Royal Mint.

Norbertus seems to have developed a large commercial network of box-makers to whom he supplied engraved mother-of-pearl plaques, like this. The few snuffboxes recorded with his plaques are from Ghent, Amsterdam, London and Bruges, IN Bruges, Heylbrouck and two associates ran a commerce de tableaux et de curiositiés, a business dealing in paintings and curiosities, which might have sold some of his work.

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.