Snuffbox
ca. 1714 (made)
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This box bears the monogram 'FE' for Felipe V and Elisabetta Farnese. Inside the lid is the miniature portrait of Felipe Bourbon (1683-1746). Brought up as Philippe, Duc d'Anjou, he was proclaimed by his grandfather the French king, Louis XIV, as king of Spain in 1700. He succeeded his great-uncle Charles II and reigned as Felipe V until 1724 when he abdicated in favour of his son Louis. After Louis's premature death from smallpox only eight months after taking the throne, Felipe resumed his reign until his death in 1746.
The underside of the box is decorated with symbols of love - a quiver of arrows, a burning torch, a pair of doves and a flaming heart. The box was a romantic gift from Felipe to Elisabetta Farnese of Parma, whom Felipe married in 1714.
Taking snuff (powdered tobacco) became a fashionable pursuit in the early years of the eighteenth century. Ladies and gentlemen would offer each other snuff from rich, elegant boxes in the latest styles.
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.
The underside of the box is decorated with symbols of love - a quiver of arrows, a burning torch, a pair of doves and a flaming heart. The box was a romantic gift from Felipe to Elisabetta Farnese of Parma, whom Felipe married in 1714.
Taking snuff (powdered tobacco) became a fashionable pursuit in the early years of the eighteenth century. Ladies and gentlemen would offer each other snuff from rich, elegant boxes in the latest styles.
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
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| Materials and techniques | Chased, engraved and inlaid gold, carved tortoiseshell (probably from hawksbill turtle) and glazed miniature |
| Brief description | Snuffbox with reversed monogram FE with miniature of Philip V of Spain inside. Gold, tortoiseshell, glazed miniature. Paris, ca.1714 |
| Physical description | A cartouche-shaped, gold-mounted tortoiseshell snuffbox, the cover pique with a crowned, reversed monogram FE within a border of scrolling foliate strapwork, the base with a trophy of love within a similar border. The gold walls are chased and engraved with scenes of hunting, shooting, and emblems of love in landscapes on a matted ground. The interior of the lid is set with a portrait of Philip V of Spain, turned three-quarters to the left, standing under a red velvet canopy of estate. The king wears a powdered wig, blue jacket, steel breastplate, and red cloak. On his breastplate are the Order of the Golden Fleece and the sash of the Order of the Holy Ghost. In his proper right hand is a baton, and a crown rests on a cushion beside him. |
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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, Geneva, lot 390, November 10, 1987. Acquired by Arthur Gilbert from S.J. Phillips Ltd, London, 1989. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This box bears the monogram 'FE' for Felipe V and Elisabetta Farnese. Inside the lid is the miniature portrait of Felipe Bourbon (1683-1746). Brought up as Philippe, Duc d'Anjou, he was proclaimed by his grandfather the French king, Louis XIV, as king of Spain in 1700. He succeeded his great-uncle Charles II and reigned as Felipe V until 1724 when he abdicated in favour of his son Louis. After Louis's premature death from smallpox only eight months after taking the throne, Felipe resumed his reign until his death in 1746. The underside of the box is decorated with symbols of love - a quiver of arrows, a burning torch, a pair of doves and a flaming heart. The box was a romantic gift from Felipe to Elisabetta Farnese of Parma, whom Felipe married in 1714. Taking snuff (powdered tobacco) became a fashionable pursuit in the early years of the eighteenth century. Ladies and gentlemen would offer each other snuff from rich, elegant boxes in the latest styles. 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. |
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| Accession number | LOAN:GILBERT.314-2008 |
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| Record created | June 19, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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