Snuffbox
ca. 1763 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Maria Walpurgis (1724-80), wife of Christian Frederick, Elector of Saxony, probably commissioned the box to commemorate a special occasion. The skilfully painted map on the base is signed 'Engelhardt Dietrich', but although three painters of that surname worked at Meissen between 1728 and 1786, none were called Engelhardt.
Snuffboxes made out of porcelain followed the shapes of those made in gold and hardstones. Painted scenes or portraits ornamented the sides, covers and interiors. Changing forms and decoration were important, as these fashion accessories might be chosen to match the season or a particular costume. Most European (though rarely English) porcelain factories made snuffboxes. The largest producer was Meissen in Germany, which manufactured vast quantities of boxes from about 1735-65. A price list of 1765 mentions 11 varieties, the cheapest painted with flowers. The porcelain of this box was produced there, whilst the mounts possibly came from Dresden.
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.
Snuffboxes made out of porcelain followed the shapes of those made in gold and hardstones. Painted scenes or portraits ornamented the sides, covers and interiors. Changing forms and decoration were important, as these fashion accessories might be chosen to match the season or a particular costume. Most European (though rarely English) porcelain factories made snuffboxes. The largest producer was Meissen in Germany, which manufactured vast quantities of boxes from about 1735-65. A price list of 1765 mentions 11 varieties, the cheapest painted with flowers. The porcelain of this box was produced there, whilst the mounts possibly came from Dresden.
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 | Engraved gold and enamelled porcelain |
| Brief description | Rectangular snuffbox of porcelain painted in enamels, on the cover, ladies and gentlemen on a terrace with a large palace in the background and inside the cover, a portrait of Maria Walpurgis of Bavaria. |
| Physical description | Rectangular snuffbox of hard-paste porcelain painted in enamels with, on the cover, ladies and gentlemen on a terrace with a classical building to the left, a statue to the right and a large palace in the background within a moulded scrolling border. The interior is painted with a portrait of Maria Walpurgis of Bavaria, wife of Christian Frederick, Elector of Saxony, bust length, three quarters to the right; the base, which is painted by a different hand, is decorated around the wall with four views of palaces and gardens within scrolling borders. The underside is painted with a map of the banks of the Elbe in the centre of Dresden, with gold mounts engraved with bright-cutting. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | Engelhardt Dietrich (signature on underside of box (map)) |
| 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: Christie's, Geneva, lot 365, November 16, 1992. S. J. Phillips, London.. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Place depicted | |
| Summary | Maria Walpurgis (1724-80), wife of Christian Frederick, Elector of Saxony, probably commissioned the box to commemorate a special occasion. The skilfully painted map on the base is signed 'Engelhardt Dietrich', but although three painters of that surname worked at Meissen between 1728 and 1786, none were called Engelhardt. Snuffboxes made out of porcelain followed the shapes of those made in gold and hardstones. Painted scenes or portraits ornamented the sides, covers and interiors. Changing forms and decoration were important, as these fashion accessories might be chosen to match the season or a particular costume. Most European (though rarely English) porcelain factories made snuffboxes. The largest producer was Meissen in Germany, which manufactured vast quantities of boxes from about 1735-65. A price list of 1765 mentions 11 varieties, the cheapest painted with flowers. The porcelain of this box was produced there, whilst the mounts possibly came from Dresden. 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 |
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| Other numbers |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | LOAN:GILBERT.496-2008 |
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| Record created | June 19, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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