Snuffbox
ca. 1800 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The mosaics on this box are similar to those on some jewellery also found within the Gilbert collection. They may have been designed by Leopoldo Cioci, chief designer of the Grand Ducal workshops from 1792.
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.
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 | |
| Materials and techniques | Chased and engraved gold, hardstone and soft stone mosaic |
| Brief description | Rectangular, gold-mounted commessi di pietre dure (stone mosaics) snuffbox; Florence, Grand Ducal workshops, ca.1800. |
| Physical description | A rectangular, snuffbox with canted corners, with six panels of commesso di pietre dure (hardstone mosaic) depicting shells and coral, those on the cover and base bordered by agate and turquoise pellets, with similar pellets at the corners, cage-mounted in gold chased and engraved with stylised foliage. |
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| Gallery label |
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| 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, 1987. |
| Production | The mosaic was made by the Opficio delle Pietre Dure |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The mosaics on this box are similar to those on some jewellery also found within the Gilbert collection. They may have been designed by Leopoldo Cioci, chief designer of the Grand Ducal workshops from 1792. 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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| Collection | |
| Accession number | LOAN:GILBERT.439-2008 |
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| Record created | June 19, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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