Snuffbox
ca.1750 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The top of this snuffbox shows Mars, Venus and Cupid at the Temple of Love.
As snuff-taking developed into an elaborate social ritual in the 18th century it gave rise to an entirely new art form of superbly made and very expensive boxes that reflected the luxurious tastes of the aristocracy. This snuffbox is richly decorated, and is set with jewels in a way which suggests this box was made in England.
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.
As snuff-taking developed into an elaborate social ritual in the 18th century it gave rise to an entirely new art form of superbly made and very expensive boxes that reflected the luxurious tastes of the aristocracy. This snuffbox is richly decorated, and is set with jewels in a way which suggests this box was made in England.
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.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Mother of pearl, gold, diamonds and rubies |
| Brief description | A rectangular, jewelled gold-mounted mother-of-pearl snuffbox, the cover chased with Mars, Venus and Cupid at the Temple of Love |
| Physical description | A rectangular, jewelled gold-mounted mother of pearl snuffbox, the cover chased with Mars, Venus and Cupid at the Temple of Love |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
| Object history | Provenance: Christie's, London, lot. 112, Sale May 26, 1964. A la Vieille Russie, New York. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The top of this snuffbox shows Mars, Venus and Cupid at the Temple of Love. As snuff-taking developed into an elaborate social ritual in the 18th century it gave rise to an entirely new art form of superbly made and very expensive boxes that reflected the luxurious tastes of the aristocracy. This snuffbox is richly decorated, and is set with jewels in a way which suggests this box was made in England. 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. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | LOAN:GILBERT.1034-2008 |
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| Record created | June 19, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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