Snuffbox
ca. 1755 (made)
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Six battle scenes in the manner of the German painter Georg Philipp Rugendas (1666-1742) adorn this cartouche-shaped snuffbox. The interior portrait is of Ludwig VIII (1691-1768), Landgrave of Hesse Darmstadt. It copies a portrait by Johann Christian Fiedler of 1750-5.
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
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| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Gold-mounted enamelled porcelain |
| Brief description | A cartouche-shaped, gold-mounted porcelain snuffbox, the cover, walls, and base painted in enamel colours with six battle scenes in the manner of Georg Philipp Rugendas. |
| Physical description | A cartouche-shaped, gold-mounted porcelain snuffbox, the cover, walls, and base painted in enamel colours with six battle scenes in the manner of Georg Philipp Rugendas, bordered by panels of gilded foliage, scrolls, and shells. The interior of the lid is enamelled with a half-length portrait of Ludwig VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, in armour, wearing an ermine-lined red velvet robe, with the blue sash and star of the Polish Order of the White Eagle and the collar and Bavarian Order of Saint Hubert. The interior is the box is gilded, and the reeded gold mount has a scrolled thumbpiece. |
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| Credit line | The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
| Object history | Provenance: Grand Dukes of Hesse-Darmstadt. Christie's, Geneva, lot 100, May 14, 1990. |
| Production | The porcelain Meissen, c. 1755; the mounts Germany, c. 1755 |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Six battle scenes in the manner of the German painter Georg Philipp Rugendas (1666-1742) adorn this cartouche-shaped snuffbox. The interior portrait is of Ludwig VIII (1691-1768), Landgrave of Hesse Darmstadt. It copies a portrait by Johann Christian Fiedler of 1750-5. 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. |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | LOAN:GILBERT.504-2008 |
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| Record created | June 19, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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