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| Snuffbox of Varicolored Gold, Diamonds and Rubies Ducrollay & Co., 1755-1756 This and all related images from the Gilbert Collection at the Victoria & Albert Museum |
From the Gilbert Collection at the V&A, we have this stunning snuffbox which has been expertly decorated with rubies, diamonds and varicolored gold. The box is the work of Jean Ducrollay's workshop. Ducrollay (1710-1787) was one of the most revered gold box makers in Paris in the mid Eighteenth Century.
What sets this box apart is the use of rubies and diamonds with multicolored gold—a rare practice at a time when rubies were usually set solely in yellow gold. The practice, in fact, may have been unique to Ducrollay’s workshop as so few examples can be found. The box is chased on each side with a spray of slowers set against a sunburst design. The cover of the box features a pattern of flowers of foliage set with rubies and diamonds.
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