Snuffbox
1765 (made)
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This box forms part of the group of snuffboxes associated with Frederick II, the Great, of Prussia, notable for their size and lavish decoration. Frederick was a cultivated admirer of the arts. He maintained a lengthy, although sometimes heated correspondence with the French philosopher Voltaire and was a gifted musician, composer and linguist. He had a passion for gold boxes, and showed a keen interest in their design. He carried a box at all times; one is even said to have saved his life by deflecting a bullet during the battle of Kunersdorf in 1759.
This box is one of the most flamboyant of the surviving boxes, richly decorated with swirling rococo ornament, set with coloured hardstones and a profusion of diamonds.
The box has a contemporary shagreen case.
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.
This box is one of the most flamboyant of the surviving boxes, richly decorated with swirling rococo ornament, set with coloured hardstones and a profusion of diamonds.
The box has a contemporary shagreen case.
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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Object details
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Mother-of-pearl plaques mounted 'a cage' in gold, chased in three colours set with circular cut diamonds and encrusted with citrine, amethyst and coloured or foiled quartz. |
| Brief description | Gold, mother of pearl, diamonds, rubies, hardstones and foil snuffbox and case, Berlin, circa 1765 |
| Physical description | A cartouche-shaped, varicoloured-gold-mounted, jeweled mother-of-pearl snuffbox compromising mother-of-pearl plaques mounted within a cagework of gold chased with flowers and scrolls. Blossoms, buds, and leaves on stems are formed from carved stones, porcelain, glass and gems; flowers and leaves are made of materials such as rubies, sapphires, spinel, emeralds, bloodstone, turquoise, citrine, quartz and paste. (These stones are sometimes mounted with painted foil beneath to alter their colour.) The rest of the snuffbox is encrusted with various-sized circular-cut diamonds with foils tinted pink, green, and yellow along with yellow diamonds and rubies. The rim of the cover is set with three large cushion cut diamonds and one large pear shaped diamond over pale pink foils. There is a contemporary shagreen case. |
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| Credit line | The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
| Object history | Provenance: King Frederick II of Prussia. Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, 1914. Duke of Anhalt-Dessau, 1929. Christie's, Geneva, lot. 176 ('property of a German Royal House), May 11, 1982. S. J. Phillips, London. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This box forms part of the group of snuffboxes associated with Frederick II, the Great, of Prussia, notable for their size and lavish decoration. Frederick was a cultivated admirer of the arts. He maintained a lengthy, although sometimes heated correspondence with the French philosopher Voltaire and was a gifted musician, composer and linguist. He had a passion for gold boxes, and showed a keen interest in their design. He carried a box at all times; one is even said to have saved his life by deflecting a bullet during the battle of Kunersdorf in 1759. This box is one of the most flamboyant of the surviving boxes, richly decorated with swirling rococo ornament, set with coloured hardstones and a profusion of diamonds. The box has a contemporary shagreen case. 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.413:1 to 2-2008 |
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| Record created | June 26, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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