Bonbonnière
ca. 1730 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The story of Venus and Adonis comes from Ovid's Metamorphoses. Venus, the Roman goddess of love, falls in love with the shepherd Adonis, who is later killed by a boar. Inside the lid of this box is a miniature of two musicians in the style of Antoine Watteau (1684-1721).
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 | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Mother-of-pearl, shell with pierced, chased and engraved gold with an enamel miniature |
| Brief description | Mother of pearl, shell with pierced, chased and engraved gold with an enamel miniature, Germany, ca.1730 |
| Physical description | Circular, gold mounted mother of pearl bonbonnière, the cover and base formed of shell, the cover with a pierced and chased gold scene of Venus and Adonis. The base has a wreath of strapwork in gold on a shell ground with gold pellets and engraved strapwork. In the interior of the lid is a miniature of a lady and a child playing a musical instrument. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | Mark for gold imported from countries without customs conventions with France, June 1, 1893, onward (On the bezel) |
| 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 Acquired by Arthur Gilbert from S.J. Phillips Ltd, London, 1987. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Literary reference | Ovid's <i>Metamorphoses</i> |
| Summary | The story of Venus and Adonis comes from Ovid's Metamorphoses. Venus, the Roman goddess of love, falls in love with the shepherd Adonis, who is later killed by a boar. Inside the lid of this box is a miniature of two musicians in the style of Antoine Watteau (1684-1721). 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, Vol. I. Los Angeles (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) 1991, cat. no. 57, pp. 174-5. ISBN.0875871623 |
| Other number | GB 124 - Arthur Gilbert Number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | LOAN:GILBERT.405:1, 2-2008 |
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| Record created | June 26, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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