The body and lid of this box are carved from Egyptian jasper (also known as caillou d’Egypte). The stonecutting and use of this particular jasper suggests it was carved in the Grand Ducal workshops in Florence where Egyptian jasper was in use from the early seventeenth century. However the gold chasing of the mounts could possibly be English. Under the initiative of director, Louis Siries (active 1748-1762), the Grand Ducal workshops produced carved hardstone snuffboxes in the style of this example. There are a number of examples in the Opificio delle Pietre Dure museum in Florence that are strikingly like the models mounted in England at the same period.

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.