Snuffbox
ca. 1750 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
A successful banker who married into the Rothschild banking dynasty, Maximilian von Goldschmidt-Rothschild was one of the wealthiest individuals in the German Empire. In November 1938, the Nazi mayor of Frankfurt exploited the anti-Semitic violence engulfing the city and forced him to sell his entire art collection to Frankfurt's museums. After the war Maximilian's grandson, who served in the American military, demanded the restitution of the collection. Thanks to archival records kept by the Museum of Applied Arts and the City of Frankfurt, we know that this snuffbox was returned to the family in 1949.
The most productive European porcelain factory was Meissen in Germany, which manufactured vast quantities of boxes from about 1735-65. The coat of arms painted on the cover of this box is that of the Raupenstrach von Lowensburg family of Transylvania. Their Latin motto, Virtus post funera crescit, means 'Virtue outlives death'. The scenes of lovers and musicians reflect the influence of French painting.
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.
This snuffbox is temporarily away from our permanent collections and is presented at the exhibition 'The Collection of Maximilian von Goldschmidt Rothschild' at the Museum Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt (January-June 2023).
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Gold and enamelled porcelain |
| Brief description | An oval, gold-mounted, porcelain armorial snuffbox painted in enamel, on the cover, a coat of arms with crest, supporters and motto flanked by a gentleman dancing for his lady in a landscape. |
| Physical description | An oval, gold-mounted, porcelain armorial snuffbox painted in enamel, on the cover, a coat of arms with crest, supporters and the motto Virtus post funera crescit flanked by a gentleman dancing for his lady in a landscape. The walls and base are enamelled with Harlequin and various gallants and their ladies, the interior of the lid with a dancing master within a violin giving a lesson to a young girl on a terrace. The gold mount is chased with scrolls. |
| 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: Possibly Max von Goldschmidt-Rothschild Collection, Frankfurt am Main, no. 1173 [1]; Christie's, London, lot 88, May 14, 1990. |
| Production | The porcelain Meissen, c. 1750; the mounts Germany, c. 1750 |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | A successful banker who married into the Rothschild banking dynasty, Maximilian von Goldschmidt-Rothschild was one of the wealthiest individuals in the German Empire. In November 1938, the Nazi mayor of Frankfurt exploited the anti-Semitic violence engulfing the city and forced him to sell his entire art collection to Frankfurt's museums. After the war Maximilian's grandson, who served in the American military, demanded the restitution of the collection. Thanks to archival records kept by the Museum of Applied Arts and the City of Frankfurt, we know that this snuffbox was returned to the family in 1949. The most productive European porcelain factory was Meissen in Germany, which manufactured vast quantities of boxes from about 1735-65. The coat of arms painted on the cover of this box is that of the Raupenstrach von Lowensburg family of Transylvania. Their Latin motto, Virtus post funera crescit, means 'Virtue outlives death'. The scenes of lovers and musicians reflect the influence of French painting. 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. This snuffbox is temporarily away from our permanent collections and is presented at the exhibition 'The Collection of Maximilian von Goldschmidt Rothschild' at the Museum Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt (January-June 2023). |
| Bibliographic reference | Truman, Charles.The Gilbert collection of gold boxes, Vol. I. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1991, cat. no. 86, pp. 252-4. ISBN.0875871623 |
| Other numbers |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | LOAN:GILBERT.505-2008 |
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| Record created | June 19, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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