Snuffbox
ca.1765 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place Of Origin |
Saxony was rich in minerals and hardstones, leading to a blossoming of lapidary (polished stone) work. The city of Dresden was home to a treasury which was later extended by Augustus the Strong, elector of Saxony and King of Poland (ruled 1694-1733). This famous Green Vault (as it was known) encouraged the production of luxury objects. Chimneysweeps, such as the one depicted on this box, were widely considered a symbol of good luck.
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.
object details
| Categories | |
| Object Type | |
| Materials and Techniques | Gold, quartzite, agate and hardstones |
| Brief Description | Snuffbox, gold with mounted hardstones, probably Dresden, ca.1765 |
| Physical Description | Oval quartzite snuffbox, the cover inlaid with an oval reserve of banded agate enclosing an image of a chimney-sweep in various hardstones, holding a ladder and a brush, standing on grass against a trellis of red stone, heigthened with colour. Each enclosed lozenge of quartzite has bevelled edges and is bordered by a frieze of banded agate; the walls and base have similar trellis and border decoration, mounted in gold chased with an osier pattern, and the box has a flaring floral thumbpiece. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and Inscriptions | No marks |
| 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: Wartski, London. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Saxony was rich in minerals and hardstones, leading to a blossoming of lapidary (polished stone) work. The city of Dresden was home to a treasury which was later extended by Augustus the Strong, elector of Saxony and King of Poland (ruled 1694-1733). This famous Green Vault (as it was known) encouraged the production of luxury objects. Chimneysweeps, such as the one depicted on this box, were widely considered a symbol of good luck. 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, volume II, London: Philip Wilson Publishers Ltd., 1999, cat. no. 19, pp. 38. ISBN.0856675210 |
| Other Numbers |
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| Collection | |
| Accession Number | LOAN:GILBERT.418-2008 |
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| record created | June 19, 2008 |
| Record URL |