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Freedom Box

1765 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
London (made)

The freedom box was a characteristically English type. The City of Londonderry presented this box to Robert Alsop, governor of the Honourable Irish Society, in 1765.

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
Containers
Metalwork
Personal Accessories
Object type
Freedom box
Materials and techniques
Raised and chased gold
Gold
Raising
Chasing
Brief description
Rectangular gold freedom box; London, 1765
Physical description
Rectangular gold freedom box, the cover chased with a scrolling cartouche enclosing four putti supporting the arms of Londonderry against a view of that city and with a trophy of arms and an anchor. The sides are chased with six similar cartouches enclosing seascapes and figures, divided on the front with a trophy and a dolphin mask and on the back with a head of Apollo. The base is chased with a cartouche of scrolls and flowers enclosing the inscription.
Dimensions
  • Width: 10.9cm
  • Height: 7.8cm
  • Depth: 4.4cm
Measured 04/03/24 IW
Marks and inscriptions
PRESENTED/The 1st Day of Augst. 1765/To Robt. Alsop Esqr./ALDERMAN of LONDON/and Governour of the Society of the new/Plantation in Ulster in the Realm of Ireland/by the Mayor, Commonalty and Citizens/OF THE/CITY of LONDONDERRY/In Testimony/of their Gratitude & Respect.
Gallery label
(2024)
16. Freedom box with arms of Londonderry
1765

London, England, maker's mark IC or JC
Chased and engraved gold
Formerly in the collection of Barbara Woolworth Hutton (1912-79)
Museum no. LOAN:GILBERT.385-2008
(16/11/2016)
8. Freedom box with arms of Londonderry
1765

London, England; maker’s mark IC or JC
Chased and engraved gold
Formerly in the collection of Barbara Woolworth Hutton (1912–79)
Museum no. Loan:Gilbert.385-2008
(2009)
Freedom box with arms of Londonderry
1765
The City of Londonderry presented this box to Robert Alsop, governor of the Honourable Irish Society, in 1765.
London, England; maker’s mark IC or JC
Chased and engraved gold
Formerly in the collection of Barbara Woolworth Hutton (1912–79)
Museum no. Loan:Gilbert.385-2008
Credit line
The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Object history
Provenance: Barbara Woolworth Hutton; sale, Sotheby's, London, lot 38, 24 March 1980. S.J. Phillips, London, 1985.
Subjects depicted
Coat of Arms
Seascapes
Figures
Trophies
Summary
The freedom box was a characteristically English type. The City of Londonderry presented this box to Robert Alsop, governor of the Honourable Irish Society, in 1765.

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
  • Berry Hill, Henry and Sidney. Antique gold boxes: their lore and their lure. New York: Abelard Press, 1953, pp. 63-64.
  • Truman, Charles. The Gilbert Collection of Gold Boxes, Vol. I. Los Angeles (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) 1991, cat. no. 104, pp. 304-6. ISBN.08758716236
  • Zech, Heike. Gold Boxes. Masterpieces from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection. London: V&A Publishing, 2015, pp. 112-113, no. 39. 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 7
Other numbers
  • GB 109 - Arthur Gilbert Number
  • 1996.1091 - The Gilbert Collection, Somerset House
  • 1996.791.1 - The Gilbert Collection, Somerset House
  • MIN 26 - Arthur Gilbert Number
Collection
Metalwork Collection
Accession number
LOAN:GILBERT.385-2008

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Record createdJune 19, 2008
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O156320/freedom-box-unknown/
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