Snuffbox
ca. 1760 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The paintings of French Rococo artist Antoine Watteau (1684-1721) influenced these German scenes of lovers and musicians. The copper-oxide green enamel, which is the main decorative paint colour for the box, was developed at Meissen in about 1745.
Snuffboxes made out of porcelain followed the shapes of those made in gold and hardstones. Painted scenes or portraits ornamented the sides, covers and interiors. Changing forms and decoration were important, as these fashion accessories might be chosen to match the season or a particular costume. Most European (though rarely English) porcelain factories made snuffboxes. The largest producer was Meissen in Germany, which manufactured vast quantities of boxes from about 1735-65. A price list of 1765 mentions 11 varieties, the cheapest painted with flowers. The mounts for this box were also made in Germany.
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.
Snuffboxes made out of porcelain followed the shapes of those made in gold and hardstones. Painted scenes or portraits ornamented the sides, covers and interiors. Changing forms and decoration were important, as these fashion accessories might be chosen to match the season or a particular costume. Most European (though rarely English) porcelain factories made snuffboxes. The largest producer was Meissen in Germany, which manufactured vast quantities of boxes from about 1735-65. A price list of 1765 mentions 11 varieties, the cheapest painted with flowers. The mounts for this box were also made in Germany.
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 | Enamelled porcelain and chased gold |
| Brief description | A rectangular gold-mounted porcelain snuffbox, the painting predominantly green, the sides, base and cover with a couple in a landscaped garden. |
| Physical description | A rectangular, gold-mounted hard-paste porcelain snuffbox, the cover, walls and base with moulded scrolling cartouches and painted in predominantly green enamel colours on each surface with single figures or couples in fanciful garden landscapes. The interior of the lid is enamelled with a lady and a gentleman dancing in a garden to the music of a lutist and harpist; a temple, a pergola and a fountain are visible in the background. The rim is painted with swags and flowers, and is mounted in waved gold. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
| Object history | Provenance Acquired by Arthur Gilbert from S.J. Phillips Ltd, London, 1989. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The paintings of French Rococo artist Antoine Watteau (1684-1721) influenced these German scenes of lovers and musicians. The copper-oxide green enamel, which is the main decorative paint colour for the box, was developed at Meissen in about 1745. Snuffboxes made out of porcelain followed the shapes of those made in gold and hardstones. Painted scenes or portraits ornamented the sides, covers and interiors. Changing forms and decoration were important, as these fashion accessories might be chosen to match the season or a particular costume. Most European (though rarely English) porcelain factories made snuffboxes. The largest producer was Meissen in Germany, which manufactured vast quantities of boxes from about 1735-65. A price list of 1765 mentions 11 varieties, the cheapest painted with flowers. The mounts for this box were also made in Germany. 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 reference | Truman, Charles.The Gilbert collection of gold boxes, Vol. I. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1991, cat. no. 90, pp. 267-9. ISBN.0875871623 |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | LOAN:GILBERT.493-2008 |
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| Record created | June 19, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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