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Snuffbox

1755-70 (made)
Artist/Maker
Baudesson, Daniel (maker)
Place of origin
Berlin (city) (made)

Daniel Baudesson, the maker of this gold box, is arguably the most famous of the Berlin snuffbox makers. He made boxes for Frederick the Great and was named in a document of 1766 as court goldsmith. The enamels decorating the box are attributed to Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki (1726-1801). He probably studied the art of enamelling with Johann Philipp Haid, who was a pupil of the Augsburg artist Georg Philipp Rugendas.

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

Object type
Snuffbox
Materials and techniques
Engraved and enamelled gold, extensive restoration to enamel
Gold
Enamel
Engraving (Incising)
Basse-Taille
Brief description
An oval, enamelled gold snuffbox, engraved with stylized shells and enamelled en plein with, on the cover, putti representing the arts and sciences beneath Minerva.
Physical description
An oval, engraved and enamelled gold snuffbox. On the cover, a scene of putti representing the arts and sciences beneath Minerva within a cartouche of shellwork and scrolls.
Dimensions
  • Width: 9.5cm
  • Height: 5.5cm
  • Depth: 4.5cm
Measured 29/01/24 IW
Gallery label
  • 11. Snuffbox with putti and Minerva 1755–70 Berlin, Germany; mark of Daniel Baudesson (1716–85), enamels probably by Daniel Chodowiecki (1726–1801) Engraved and enamelled gold Museum no. Loan:Gilbert.333-2008(16/11/2016)
  • Snuffbox with putti and Minerva 1755–70 Berlin, Germany; mark of Daniel Baudesson (1716–85), enamels probably by Daniel Chodowiecki (1726–1801) Engraved and enamelled gold Museum no. Loan:Gilbert.333-2008(2009)
Credit line
The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Object history
Provenance
Acquired by Arthur Gilbert from S.J. Phillips Ltd, London, 1984.
Production
The enamels attributed to Daniel Chodowiecki
Subjects depicted
Cartouches
Putti
Scrolls
Minerva
Summary
Daniel Baudesson, the maker of this gold box, is arguably the most famous of the Berlin snuffbox makers. He made boxes for Frederick the Great and was named in a document of 1766 as court goldsmith. The enamels decorating the box are attributed to Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki (1726-1801). He probably studied the art of enamelling with Johann Philipp Haid, who was a pupil of the Augsburg artist Georg Philipp Rugendas.

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
  • Truman, Charles, The Gilbert Collection of Gold Boxes, Volume 1, Los Angeles (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) 1991, cat. no. 77, pp. 226-8, ISBN.0875871623
  • Zech, Heike, "'Theatre of War': Two Enamelled Copper Snuffboxes with Maps Relating to the Seven Years' War", The Journal of the Antique Metalware Society, Vol. 18, June 2010, pp. 48-55, ill. p. 51
  • Zech, Heike. Gold Boxes. Masterpieces from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection. London: V&A Publishing, 2015, pp. 90-91, no. 29. 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 33
Other numbers
  • GB 87 - Arthur Gilbert Number
  • 1996.438 - 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.333-2008

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Record createdJune 19, 2008
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O156492/snuffbox-baudesson-daniel/
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