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Design

ca.1770 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Design for the painted enamel panels for the sides of an oblong, gold neo-classical snuffbox showing a wreath.The designs E.897:40-1988 and E.897:41-1988 in the same album are for the painted enamel panels of the top and sides of the same snuffbox depicting flaming hearts and a wreath respectively. The designs were drawn by an anonymous designer in about 1770 possibly for an elite client from the Court of Louis XV, King of France, from 1715 to 1774, at Versailles, Paris.

This design is from an album of designs that date from about 1735-1820 and includes those for snuffboxes, scent holders, watches and watch cases, spoons, fans and fan mounts, small swords, and chatelaines (ornamental chains, pins, or clasps usually worn at a woman's waist, to which trinkets, keys, purses, or other articles are attached).

There is a close relationship between the contents of the album and known work by three Parisian goldsmiths, Jean Ducrollay (1710-1787), Pierre- François Drais (active 1761-1788), and Charles Ouizille (1744-1830) whose names appear on the first page of the album. This suggests that all the designs emanate from their workshops. Drais worked for the Court at Versailles as jeweller to both King Louis XV and Louis XVI. Ouizille worked in this capacity for Louis XVI. Most of the material dates from the period 1755-90.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Pen and ink and watercolour on paper
Brief description
Design form album of designs by Ouizille, French, eighteenth century.
NOT TO BE ISSUED WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM THE HEAD OF DESIGNS
Physical description
Design for the painted enamel panels for the sides of an oblong, gold neo-classical snuffbox showing a wreath.
Dimensions
  • Height: 3.5cm
  • Width: 5cm
Credit line
Purchased with the assistance of Wartski Limited
Production
By the same hand as the group of designs for snuffboxes (39,139, 141, 143, 145, 146, 149).

Attribution note: (40) and (41) are for the top and sides, respectively, of the same snuffbox.
Subjects depicted
Summary
Design for the painted enamel panels for the sides of an oblong, gold neo-classical snuffbox showing a wreath.The designs E.897:40-1988 and E.897:41-1988 in the same album are for the painted enamel panels of the top and sides of the same snuffbox depicting flaming hearts and a wreath respectively. The designs were drawn by an anonymous designer in about 1770 possibly for an elite client from the Court of Louis XV, King of France, from 1715 to 1774, at Versailles, Paris.

This design is from an album of designs that date from about 1735-1820 and includes those for snuffboxes, scent holders, watches and watch cases, spoons, fans and fan mounts, small swords, and chatelaines (ornamental chains, pins, or clasps usually worn at a woman's waist, to which trinkets, keys, purses, or other articles are attached).

There is a close relationship between the contents of the album and known work by three Parisian goldsmiths, Jean Ducrollay (1710-1787), Pierre- François Drais (active 1761-1788), and Charles Ouizille (1744-1830) whose names appear on the first page of the album. This suggests that all the designs emanate from their workshops. Drais worked for the Court at Versailles as jeweller to both King Louis XV and Louis XVI. Ouizille worked in this capacity for Louis XVI. Most of the material dates from the period 1755-90.
Bibliographic references
  • Snowman, A.Kenneth. Eighteenth Century Gold Boxes of Europe. Woodbridge: Antique Collectors' Club, 1990. ill. 120A-C.
  • Heike Zech, 'Designs for Gold Boxes in the Album of the Workshop of Jean Ducrollay and his Successors', in Going for Gold: craftsmanship and collecting of gold boxes, ed. Tessa Murdoch and Heike Zech (Sussex academic press, 2014).
Collection
Accession number
E.897:42-1988

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Record createdMay 31, 2006
Record URL
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