Snuffbox
1776-77 (made), 1850-1900 (painted)
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Joseph-Etienne Blerzy, whose mark appears upon this box, was one of the most productive of all French box makers. The miniature of Madame de Maintenon (1635-1719) was added later to this box. She was the second wife of Louis XIV of France, although the marriage was never publicly acknowledged. The miniature was painted in the second half of the nineteenth century, probably in France.
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.
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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Object details
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| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Gold, enamel, glazed miniature |
| Brief description | Gold, enamel, glazed miniature, Paris, 1776-7, Joseph Etienne Blerzy |
| Physical description | Oval gold snuffbox enamelled en plein in yellow over an engine-turned ground, the cover bordered by chased gold foliage enamelled in translucent green, 'pearls' and pellets in translucent red, with a blue and white fillet within. The centre was later set with a miniature, under glass, of Madame de Maintenon, bust length, turned three quarters to the right, in the style of Petitot, within an opaque white frame. The walls are divided by pilasters and bordered in opaque white 'pearls', translucent green foliage and red berries, and the yellow-enamelled base is similarly bordered. |
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| Credit line | The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
| Object history | Provenance: George IV of England to Lord Glenlyon. Augustus Henry, 3rd Duke of Grafton. George, 4th Duke of Marlborough. Lady Churchill. Admiral the Hon. J.W.S. Spencer. Acquired by Arthur Gilbert from S.J. Phillips Ltd, London, 1995. |
| Production | The enamel portrait is based on a painting by Pierre Mignard |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Joseph-Etienne Blerzy, whose mark appears upon this box, was one of the most productive of all French box makers. The miniature of Madame de Maintenon (1635-1719) was added later to this box. She was the second wife of Louis XIV of France, although the marriage was never publicly acknowledged. The miniature was painted in the second half of the nineteenth century, probably in France. 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.376-2008 |
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| Record created | June 19, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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