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Octagonal Shell Snuffbox
(18th and 19th Centuries )
This snuffbox sets off white carved shell against gold mounts. The uniform whiteness, large size, and curvature of the shell used suggest that these pieces may have been taken from a species of sea snail native to the Indian Ocean - showing how global trade influenced the luxury arts in 18th-century Europe.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Christie's Sale, London, February 22 1912, no. 33; Harding, London; purchased by Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1914; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1931.
Exhibitions
| 1984 | Objects of Vertu: Precious Works of the Eighteenth Century. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Geographies
The Netherlands
(Place of Origin)
Germany (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 1 7/8 x W: 2 11/16 in. (4.8 x 6.8 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1914
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.
57.91