Hercules slaying the Hydra
Tobacco Box and Lid
1734/5 (made)
1734/5 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
A silver-gilt round tobacco box with a slightly domed cover engraved with Hercules slaying the Hydra, the maker's mark for William Currie, W C below a fleur-de-lys, and for Dublin 1734-5
Object details
Category | |
Object type | |
Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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Title | Hercules slaying the Hydra (generic title) |
Materials and techniques | Engraved silver-gilt |
Brief description | Gilded silver, Dublin (Ireland), 1734-35, maker's mark of William Currie. |
Physical description | A silver-gilt round tobacco box with a slightly domed cover engraved with Hercules slaying the Hydra, the maker's mark for William Currie, W C below a fleur-de-lys, and for Dublin 1734-5 |
Dimensions |
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Style | |
Production type | Unique |
Marks and inscriptions |
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Gallery label | 10. TOBACCO BOX
Silver-gilt
Dublin, 1745
Mark of William Currie
The Greek demigod Hercules is engraved on this box, slaying the Hydra, a seven-headed serpent. Such classical designs on boxes were popular and signified their owners' status and intellect. This box, carefully engraved and then applied with mercury gilding, was made by specialist box maker William Currie. We have yet to identify the engraver.
C. D. Rotch Bequest
M.324:1&2-1962.(pre-2000.) |
Credit line | Bequeathed by Claude D. Rotch |
Object history | Bequeathed by Claude Rotch, 1961 |
Historical context | The shallow domed silver box was designed to contain tobacco rather than snuff. |
Subject depicted | |
Bibliographic reference | Alison FitzGerald, Silver in Georgian Dublin, Making, selling, consuming, London and New York, 2017, pp. 52,61. William Currie had premises close to the Goldsmiths' Company in Dublin and paid them an annual rent of £33 in 1750. |
Collection | |
Accession number | M.324:1, 2-1962 |
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Record created | September 10, 2004 |
Record URL |
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