Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Snuffbox
(18th and 19th Centuries )
In western Europe during the 18th century, small boxes, ostensibly snuff containers, executed in gold and other precious materials, were among the most prized, luxury products. In this example, the master goldsmith Jean George worked in several colors of gold, the differences being achieved by using different alloys, a technique known as quatre couleur. The images on the six surfaces of the box recall the harbor scenes of the painter Joseph Vernet (1714-1789).
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Sir Jacob Astley (1797-1859), 6th Baronet, 16th Baron Hastings, Norfolk, England; Sir George Manners Astley (1857-1904), 10th Baronet, 20th Baron Hastings, England, by inheritance; Harding, London; Henry Walters, Baltimore; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 2015-2016 | Pearls on a String: Artists, Patrons, and Poets at the Great Islamic Courts. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore; Asian Art Museum, San Francisco. |
| 1984 | Objects of Vertu: Precious Works of the Eighteenth Century. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 7/22/2004 | Treatment | cleaned |
| 5/13/2015 | Examination | Cleaned for exhibition |
| 6/1/2015 | Treatment | Cleaned for exhibition |
Geographies
France, Paris (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H (including highpoint of clasp) : 1 9/16 ×W (across the front): 3 3/16 × D (down the side): 2 5/16 in. (4 × 8.1 × 5.87 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
57.95