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Not currently on display at the V&A

Snuffbox

ca. 1755 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
London (made)

Although the techniques used in the creation of this box were widely employed across Europe, it was probably made in England. Similar ribbon-tied sprays of flowers can be found on English enamels of the same date and in a contemporary design source-book, The Ladies Amusement.

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
Metalwork
Containers
Personal Accessories
Object type
Snuffbox
Materials and techniques
Carved mother of pearl, chased and inlaid gold
Mother of Pearl
Gold
Carving
Moulding
Inlay (Process)
Brief description
A shaped rectangular, gold-mounted snuffbox comprising six panels of mother-of-pearl engraved with undulating lines and encrusted with gold sprays of flowers and insects
Physical description
A shaped rectangular, gold-mounted snuffbox comprising six panels of mother-of-pearl engraved with undulating lines and set with gold sprays of flowers and insects.
Dimensions
  • Length: 6.8cm
  • Width: 5.6cm
  • Height: 3cm
Marks and inscriptions
No marks
Gallery label
  • 17. Snuffbox with flowers and insects About 1755 Probably London, England Chased and pierced gold over mother-of-pearl Formerly in the collection of Lord Wharton, London Museum no. Loan:Gilbert.394-2008(17/03/2021)
  • 4. Snuffbox with flowers and butterflies, about 1755 Museum no. Loan:Gilbert.394-2008(16/11/2016)
  • Snuffbox with flowers and insects About 1755 Probably London, England Chased and pierced gold over mother-of-pearl Formerly in the collection of Lord Wharton Museum no. Loan:Gilbert.394-2008(2009)
Credit line
The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Object history
Provenance: Lord Wharton, London. Wartski, London.
Subjects depicted
Insects
Flowers
Ribbons
Butterflies
Moths
Dragonflies
Summary
Although the techniques used in the creation of this box were widely employed across Europe, it was probably made in England. Similar ribbon-tied sprays of flowers can be found on English enamels of the same date and in a contemporary design source-book, The Ladies Amusement.

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
  • Tait, Hugh. 'An anonymous loan to the British Museum, 2: Eighteenth Century Gold Boxes', The Connoisseur, 154, December 1963, pp. 216-25, col. pl. 1, bottom right.
  • Le Corbeiller, Clare. European and American snuffboxes, 1730-1830. New York: Viking Press, 1966, no. 22.
  • Truman, Charles.The Gilbert collection of gold boxes, Vol. I. Los Angeles (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) 1991, cat. no. 101, pp. 294-5. ISBN.0875871623
  • Zech, Heike. Gold Boxes. Masterpieces from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection. London: V&A Publishing, 2015, pp. 106-107, no. 36. 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 46
Other numbers
  • GB 92 - Arthur Gilbert Number
  • 1996.442 - The Gilbert Collection, Somerset House
  • 1996.791.1 - The Gilbert Collection, Somerset House
  • MIN 26 - Arthur Gilbert Number
Collection
Metalwork Collection
Accession number
LOAN:GILBERT.394-2008

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Record createdJune 19, 2008
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O156497/snuffbox-unknown/
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