Snuffbox thumbnail 1
Snuffbox thumbnail 2
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Not currently on display at the V&A

Snuffbox

1764-65 (marked)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Egg-shaped boxes were very popular in the 18th century, especially in England, where they were often made of materials such as gold-mounted agates and enamelled copper. Sèvres porcelain boxes shaped as eggs however appear to be very rare. It is possible that, since this box was exported from France between 1764-5 and 1781-9, shown by the gold marks, it was a special commission for an English customer of the Sèvres factory.

The Sèvres porcelain factory moved from Vincennes in 1756 and in 1759 became a royal manufacturer. After the decline of the Meissen factory, it became the preeminent porcelain manufacturer in Europe.

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.

  • Snuffbox
  • Snuffbox
Materials and techniques
Enamelled soft-paste porcelain with chased gold mounts
Brief description
Louis XVI porcelain and gold snuffbox in the shape of an egg, Paris, Sèvres, 1764-65
Physical description
A gold-mounted soft-paste porcelain box in the shape of an egg, painted in enamel colours with red oeil de perdrix on a pale blue ground, with flower garland borders, and with a rosette at the top and bottom. The gold mounts are chased with a guilloche and Greek key pattern.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 4cm
  • Height: 5.8cm
Measured 04/03/24 IW
Marks and inscriptions
  • Charge mark of the adjudicataire des fermes générales unies Jean-Jacque Prévost, Paris, November 22, 1762-December 22, 1768 (Inside the bezel)
  • Warden's mark for Paris, July 18, 1764-July 21, 1765 (Inside the bezel)
  • Discharge mark of Jean-Jacque Prévost, 1762-68 (On the bezel)
  • Import mark of the régisseur général des droits de marque Henry Clavel, Paris, April 7, 1781-February 22, 1789 (On the bezel)
  • Restricted warranty mark for gold, Paris, May 10, 1838, onward (On the bezel)
Gallery label
16. Box in the shape of an egg 1764–65 At the French factory in Sèvres, porcelain boxes were only a small part of production. After 1760, hardly any were made as the firm instead concentrated on tableware, making this Sèvres box extremely rare. It might have been made for export since egg-shaped boxes were popular in Britain at the time. Box: Sèvres, France Mounts: Paris, France Soft-paste porcelain, enamel colours and gold(16/11/2016)
Credit line
The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Object history
Provenance: Mrs.Elizabeth Parke Firestone, sale, Christie's, New York, November 19, 1982, lot 41. S.J. Phillips, London, 1989.
Subjects depicted
Summary
Egg-shaped boxes were very popular in the 18th century, especially in England, where they were often made of materials such as gold-mounted agates and enamelled copper. Sèvres porcelain boxes shaped as eggs however appear to be very rare. It is possible that, since this box was exported from France between 1764-5 and 1781-9, shown by the gold marks, it was a special commission for an English customer of the Sèvres factory.

The Sèvres porcelain factory moved from Vincennes in 1756 and in 1759 became a royal manufacturer. After the decline of the Meissen factory, it became the preeminent porcelain manufacturer in Europe.

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 references
  • Truman, Charles.The Gilbert collection of gold boxes, Vol. I. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1991, cat. no. 21, p. 79. ISBN.0875871623
  • Zech, Heike. Gold Boxes. Masterpieces from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection. London: V&A Publishing, 2015, pp. 54-55, no. 12. ISBN 987-1-85177-840-9
  • Schroder, Timothy. Gold boxes : from the Gilbert collection : an exhibition, Los Angeles : Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1986 27
Other numbers
  • GB 147 - Arthur Gilbert Number
  • 1996.495 - The Gilbert Collection, Somerset House
Collection
Accession number
LOAN:GILBERT.498:1, 2-2008

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Record createdJune 26, 2008
Record URL
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