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| Gold Snuffbox inset with miniatures France, 1768 The Victoria & Albert Museum |
The vivid snuffbox has been set with miniatures which were
made by a member of the French van Blarenberghe family of painters. The artist
could possibly have been Louis-Nicholas van Blarenberghe (1716-69) or his son
Henri-Joseph (1741-1826) whose styles are virtually indistinguishable.
Parisian Ange-Joseph Aubert is responsible for making the box itself. He was primarily known as a diamond merchant and jeweller rather than a goldsmith, however, he was eager to take on special commissions such as this rectangular gold snuffbox with canted corners set with ten miniatures under glass. The miniatures depict rural scenes and festivities. The cover is set with a scene of a typical village fair while the box’s walls show peasants making merry. The base is adorned with masked figures “promenading through a wood hung with chandeliers.” This scene is mounted in a cage of gold chased with foliage and ovals.
The snuffbox still retains its original presentation case.
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