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Snuffbox

ca. 1800 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The term 'micromosaic' is used to describe mosaics made of the smallest glass pieces. Some micromosaics contain more than 5000 pieces per square inch. The earliest attempts at micromosaic revealed visible joins between the pieces (known as tesserae) and a lack of perspective. Later artists made huge advances in micromosaic technique, resulting in renderings that were truer to life. Glass micromosaic technique developed in the 18th century, in the Vatican Mosaic Workshop in Rome, where they still undertake restoration work today.

This is a fairly early example of a micromosaic with a still quite limited range of colours and shapes of tesserae. The imagery is inspired by ancient Roman art: bears, dogs and deer were all popular subjects on Roman floor mosaics and wall paintings. The base panel shows a chariot with a stag and hind just released from the harness, possibly an allusion to the chariot of the goddess Diana.

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

Object type
Materials and techniques
Chased gold, glass micromosaic
Brief description
Snuffbox with polar bear and hound. Gold, micromosaic. Probably Rome, ca.1800
Physical description
A rectangular, gold-mounted micromosaic snuffbox with canted corners, the cover with a mosaic depicting a polar bear and a hound playing with an apple under a tree, the base with a mosaic of a stag and a hind and a chariot.
Dimensions
  • Length: 8.7cm
  • Width: 5.3cm
  • Height: 2.4cm
Gallery label
  • 8. Snuffbox with bear and hound About 1800 Probably Rome, Italy Gold and glass micromosaic Museum no. Loan:Gilbert.431-2008(16/11/2016)
  • Snuffbox with polar bear and hound About 1800 Probably Rome, Italy Gold and glass micromosaic Museum no. Loan:Gilbert.431-2008(2009)
Credit line
The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Object history
Provenance: Martin Foster sale, Christie's London, 5 July 1977, lot 211.
Historical context
The bear and hound may be copied from a painting by Vallati, a specialist animal painter whose work was regularly used as sources for micromosaics. A mosaic entitled Deer Hunt, given to President Eisenhower (in office 1953-61) by Italy's President Gronchi (1887-1978) was apparently based on a painting by Vallati.
Subjects depicted
Summary
The term 'micromosaic' is used to describe mosaics made of the smallest glass pieces. Some micromosaics contain more than 5000 pieces per square inch. The earliest attempts at micromosaic revealed visible joins between the pieces (known as tesserae) and a lack of perspective. Later artists made huge advances in micromosaic technique, resulting in renderings that were truer to life. Glass micromosaic technique developed in the 18th century, in the Vatican Mosaic Workshop in Rome, where they still undertake restoration work today.

This is a fairly early example of a micromosaic with a still quite limited range of colours and shapes of tesserae. The imagery is inspired by ancient Roman art: bears, dogs and deer were all popular subjects on Roman floor mosaics and wall paintings. The base panel shows a chariot with a stag and hind just released from the harness, possibly an allusion to the chariot of the goddess Diana.

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
  • Habsburg-Lothringen, Géza von. Gold boxes from the collection of Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert. R. & A. Gilbert, 1983. 125 p., ill. Cat no.5, p. 25-6. ISBN.0961039809.
  • Truman, Charles.The Gilbert collection of gold boxes, Vol. I. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1991, cat. no. 145, pp. 416-17. ISBN.0875871623
  • Gabriel, Jeanette Hanisee with contributions by Anna Maria Massinelli and essays by Judy Rudoe and Massimo Alfieri. Micromosaics: The Gilbert Collection. London: Philip Wilson Publishers Ltd. in association with The Gilbert Collection, 2000. 310 p., ill. Cat. no. 113, p. 182. ISBN 0856675113.
  • Zech, Heike. Gold Boxes. Masterpieces from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection. London: V&A Publishing, 2015, pp. 136-137, no. 50. ISBN 987-1-85177-840-9
  • Schroder, Timothy. Gold boxes : from the Gilbert collection : an exhibition, Los Angeles : Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1986 18 or 27
Other numbers
  • GB 82 - Arthur Gilbert Number
  • 1996.434 - The Gilbert Collection, Somerset House
Collection
Accession number
LOAN:GILBERT.431-2008

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Record createdJune 19, 2008
Record URL
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