Bonbonnière
1767-8 (made)
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Turning ivory with a mechanical engine was a popular court pastime from at least the 17th century. Louis XVI of France was a particular enthusiast, and his engine-turning machine or tour a guillocher, built by Mercklein, still survives in Paris in the Musée des Arts et Metiers. George III of England was also a keen ivory turner. A gold mounted ivory snuffbox by him can be seen in the Royal Collections.
The turned ivory panels are set in a gold box by Louis-Claude Porcher, a Paris goldsmith active between 1762 and 1791.
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.
The turned ivory panels are set in a gold box by Louis-Claude Porcher, a Paris goldsmith active between 1762 and 1791.
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 | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Gold, enamel, pierced and turned ivory |
| Brief description | Gold, resin and ivory bonbonnière, Louis-Claude Porcher, Paris, 1767-1768 |
| Physical description | Gold, resin and ivory bonbonniere, the cover, walls and base of ivory, turned and pierced on a lathe with concentric patterns and applied over silver foil enamelled translucent red and green. |
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| 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: Sale, Christie's, Geneva, lot 541, May 14, 1986. Acquired by Arthur Gilbert from S.J. Phillips Ltd, London, 1990. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Turning ivory with a mechanical engine was a popular court pastime from at least the 17th century. Louis XVI of France was a particular enthusiast, and his engine-turning machine or tour a guillocher, built by Mercklein, still survives in Paris in the Musée des Arts et Metiers. George III of England was also a keen ivory turner. A gold mounted ivory snuffbox by him can be seen in the Royal Collections. The turned ivory panels are set in a gold box by Louis-Claude Porcher, a Paris goldsmith active between 1762 and 1791. 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. 23, pp. 84-5. ISBN.0875871623 |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | LOAN:GILBERT.340:1, 2-2008 |
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| Record created | June 26, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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