Snuffbox
1789-1790s (made)
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Verre églomisé is a relatively rare form of decoration for gold boxes. It involves gilding the back of a glass panel and engraving the gold with a decorative design. The reverse of the glass is then painted and the panels applied to the box over gold or silver foil.
These panels are similar to a set signed by Villar on a box of the same date. They show scenes from the history of Rome and in the corners, allegorical figures representing the four rivers of the Roman Empire. On the cover, the family of the Roman general Coriolanus beseech him to call off his attack on the city. The designs are taken from engravings by Jean-Guillaume Moitte.
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.
These panels are similar to a set signed by Villar on a box of the same date. They show scenes from the history of Rome and in the corners, allegorical figures representing the four rivers of the Roman Empire. On the cover, the family of the Roman general Coriolanus beseech him to call off his attack on the city. The designs are taken from engravings by Jean-Guillaume Moitte.
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 | |
Materials and techniques | Gold and <i>verre églomisé</i> (glass painted to resemble enamel), silver foil backing |
Brief description | Snuffbox with scenes from the History of Rome. Gold and glass, Joseph-Etienne Blerzy, Paris, 1789-90s |
Physical description | Rectangular, gold-mounted verre églomisé snuffbox with canted corners set with ten panels of glass gilded on the reverse and painted in red with scenes from the history of Rome. |
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Credit line | The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
Object history | Provenance: Félix Doisteau, 1928. Baroness Caroline Rulle, sale, Sotheby's, London, lot 133, March 6, 1967. Ortiz-Patino Collection, sale, Christie's, London, part 3, lot 9, June 26, 1974. Wartski, London. |
Production | Cover scene by Villar after Jean-Guillaume Moitte |
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Summary | Verre églomisé is a relatively rare form of decoration for gold boxes. It involves gilding the back of a glass panel and engraving the gold with a decorative design. The reverse of the glass is then painted and the panels applied to the box over gold or silver foil. These panels are similar to a set signed by Villar on a box of the same date. They show scenes from the history of Rome and in the corners, allegorical figures representing the four rivers of the Roman Empire. On the cover, the family of the Roman general Coriolanus beseech him to call off his attack on the city. The designs are taken from engravings by Jean-Guillaume Moitte. 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. |
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Accession number | LOAN:GILBERT.370-2008 |
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Record created | June 19, 2008 |
Record URL |
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