Gifts of Grandeur: A Chased Gold and Bloodstone Snuff Box, 1740

Snuff Box
French, 1740
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Here, we see a pannier-shaped gold snuffbox which is really very fantastic. It is chased with birds, flowers, animals, shells, fruiting vines and baskets of grapes and other fruit and surmounted by a carved bloodstone. As a nifty little surprise, the interior of the lid is embellished with a polychrome miniature of a Bacchanalian festival. The miniature shows Bacchus, god of wine, surrounded by putti picking and eating an abundance of grapes. The pannier-shape of the box mimics the containers used to hold the grapes at the harvest.

Unusual Artifacts: The Crichton Vinaigrette, 1885-1886

Unusual Artifacts: The Crichton Vinaigrette, 1885-1886

Vinaigrette
G.&M. Crichton
The Victoria & Albert Museum

A Vinaigrette was used to hold an aromatic substance. Usually, the vinaigrette was worn, suspended from a chain, cord or ribbon around the throat. Sometimes, it could take the form of a brooch or a hand-held ornament.

This example was made around 1886 in Scotland by the Edinburgh jewelery firm G&M Crichton who had earlier made quite a splash at the London Exhibition of 1872. While Crichton’s designs were praised overall at the exhibition, some critics felt that the Highland brooches were a bit too “extravagant” in detail.

When this brooch was made, Scotland and all things Scottish were quite fashionable due to the earlier poetry of Sir Walter Scott and the public admiration for the land shown by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Scottish pebble jewelry was quite in demand. While the majority of these Scottish agate pieces came back to England as souvenirs of Scotland, some examples were made in Birmingham to meet the high demand. Birmingham jewelers would mimic the style of the Scottish jewels, employing stones collected in Scotland.

This vinaigrette shows the variety of attractive stones native to Scotland. Citrines, amethysts, bloodstone, mottled jasper and banded agate are set into silver. The reverse is marked for G.&M. Crichton with hallmarks for 1885 to 1886.

Mastery of Design: The Diamond-Eyed Pug Snuff Box

Snuff Box
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Images Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Of Prussian origin, this snuff box of bloodstone takes the shape of a recumbent pug dog.  He sports diamond-set eyes and teeth, a tongue of rhodonite and the gold inlaid inscription "TOUJOURS FIDELE" on his collar.

The doggie sits upon a rectangular four-color gold base which has been chased with a scene of three hounds attacking a bull in a wooded landscape.

The box was given by George, Duke of Cambridge to King Edward VII.  Edward bequeathed the box to his son, King George V.

Mastery of Design: The Diamond-Eyed Pug Snuff Box

Snuff Box
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Images Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Of Prussian origin, this snuff box of bloodstone takes the shape of a recumbent pug dog.  He sports diamond-set eyes and teeth, a tongue of rhodonite and the gold inlaid inscription "TOUJOURS FIDELE" on his collar.

The doggie sits upon a rectangular four-color gold base which has been chased with a scene of three hounds attacking a bull in a wooded landscape.

The box was given by George, Duke of Cambridge to King Edward VII.  Edward bequeathed the box to his son, King George V.

Mastery of Design: The Gilbert Trophy Snuffbox, 19th C.

Bloodstone and varicolored gold snuffbox set with diamonds, rubies, emeralds,
sapphires, and topaz.
The Gilbert Collection
German, 1800-1900
This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This rectangular snuffbox is comprised of six panels of bloodstone encrusted with martial and musical trophies in diamonds, rubies, emerald, sapphires, and topazes mounted in varicolored gold.  It is also chased with flowers, foliage and ribbons, and features an elaborately jeweled floral thumbpiece set with a central emerald.

Part of the impressive Gilbert Collection at the V&A, this box was made in Germany between 1800 and 1900.

Gifts of Grandeur: A Chased Gold and Bloodstone Snuff Box, 1740

Snuff Box
French, 1740
The Victoria & Albert Museum

For some reason, I have selected things with “grapes” and "wine" for the day’s theme. I find this rather amusing since I'm teetotal. But, as always, this random selection of a theme has brought me to some really lovely things. Take this snuffbox, for example. 

Here, we see a pannier-shaped gold snuffbox which is really very fantastic. It is chased with birds, flowers, animals, shells, fruiting vines and baskets of grapes and other fruit and surmounted by a carved bloodstone. As a nifty little surprise, the interior of the lid is embellished with a polychrome miniature of a Bacchanalian festival. The miniature shows Bacchus, god of wine, surrounded by putti picking and eating an abundance of grapes. The pannier-shape of the box mimics the containers used to hold the grapes at the harvest.

Mastery of Design: The Revelstoke Bloodstone Box, 1910

Bloodstone, Gold and Diamond Box, c. 1910
Given to HM Queen Mary by Lord Revelstoke, 1910
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

This handsome circular box is crafted of bloodstone with shaped sides. The center of the cover is surmounted by a chased gold mount depicting, on a field of flowers, Cupid. The outer edge is set with an undulating band of brilliant-cut diamonds intertwined with an enamel foliate border. The hinges and other mounts are reeded gold.

The box was a birthday gift to Queen Mary, consort of King George V, presented on May 26, 1910 by Lord Revelstoke.

Unusual Artifacts: The Crichton Vinaigrette, 1885-1886

Vinaigrette
G.&M. Crichton
The Victoria & Albert Museum

A Vinaigrette was used to hold an aromatic substance. Usually, the vinaigrette was worn, suspended from a chain, cord or ribbon around the throat. Sometimes, it could take the form of a brooch or a hand-held ornament.

This example was made around 1886 in Scotland by the Edinburgh jewelery firm G&M Crichton who had earlier made quite a splash at the London Exhibition of 1872. While Crichton’s designs were praised overall at the exhibition, some critics felt that the Highland brooches were a bit too “extravagant” in detail.

When this brooch was made, Scotland and all things Scottish were quite fashionable due to the earlier poetry of Sir Walter Scott and the public admiration for the land shown by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Scottish pebble jewelry was quite in demand. While the majority of these Scottish agate pieces came back to England as souvenirs of Scotland, some examples were made in Birmingham to meet the high demand. Birmingham jewelers would mimic the style of the Scottish jewels, employing stones collected in Scotland.

This vinaigrette shows the variety of attractive stones native to Scotland. Citrines, amethysts, bloodstone, mottled jasper and banded agate are set into silver. The reverse is marked for G.&M. Crichton with hallmarks for 1885 to 1886.

Gifts of Grandeur: The Crichton Vinaigrette, c. 1885

Vinaigrette
G. & M. Crichton
Scotland, c. 1885
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The Edinburgh jewelry firm of G. & M. Crichton, at the London Exhibition of 1872, was given a fair amount of praise for their work in general. However, their highland shoulder brooches and works which used wholly Scottish materials, were granted the greatest raves. By the 1880s, thanks in large part to the poems and novels of Sir Walter Scott and the loyalty of Queen Victoria and the late Prince Consort, Scotland was a popular tourist spot. Some of the most fashionable souvenirs to be taken home from Scotland were the examples of “pebble” jewelry which were produced by local workmasters.

Here’s an example of the sort of wares produced by G. & M. Crichton using local materials. This vinaigrette (a small vessel used to hold scent or smelling salts used to combat the pervasive foul city smells of the Nineteenth Century) is constructed of silver set with citrines, amethysts, bloodstone, mottled jasper and banded agate. Signed “G. & M. Crichton” it also is marked with Edinburgh hallmarks for 1885-1886.   The vinaigrette was praised by critics for its handsome design and the use of the large, faceted citrine in the cap of the vessel.  

Mastery of Design: The Bloodstone Etui, c. 1750

Bloodstone Etui and thimble Case
This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This set consists of an etui and thimble case, each of which is beautifully created of bloodstone mounted in gold and adorned with brilliant-cut diamonds and enamel.

While the maker is unknown, it’s clear that the pieces were made in London, England, probably around 1750. The case is inscribed in French, “May you always be faithful.” 

Mastery of Design: Queen Mary's Fan Snuffbox, 1903

Snuffbox by Michael Perchin
1903
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Mary had a weakness for Fabergé, as we know, and she especially favored the works of Viktor Aarne and Mikhail Evlampievich Perkhin (1860-1903). In fact, Perkhin (also spelt Perchin) was the most represented Fabergé workmaster in Queen Mary's monumental collection.

This box from 1903 was a particular favorite of Her Majesty Queen Mary. A work of bloodstone, gold, and pink guilloché enamel, cabochon mecca stone, diamond, pearls, this box by Perchin takes the form of a hand fan surrounded by brilliant-cut diamonds. What would be the fan's handle forms the hinge. It is set with pearls and the thumb-piece is adorned with a cabochon moonstone.

Mastery of Design: The Gilbert Trophy Snuffbox, 19th C.

Bloodstone and varicolored gold snuffbox set with diamonds, rubies, emeralds,
sapphires, and topaz.
The Gilbert Collection
German, 1800-1900
This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This rectangular snuffbox is comprised of six panels of bloodstone encrusted with martial and musical trophies in diamonds, rubies, emerald, sapphires, and topazes mounted in varicolored gold.  It is also chased with flowers, foliage and ribbons, and features an elaborately jeweled floral thumbpiece set with a central emerald.

Part of the impressive Gilbert Collection at the V&A, this box was made in Germany between 1800 and 1900.

Gifts of Grandeur: A Chased Gold and Bloodstone Snuff Box, 1740

Snuff Box
French, 1740
The Victoria & Albert Museum

For some reason, I have selected things with “grapes” for the day’s theme. I think it’s because the orbs atop the coronets looked like grapes to me. But, as always, this random selection of a theme has brought me to some really lovely things. Take this snuffbox, for example.

Here, we see a pannier-shaped gold snuffbox which is really very fantastic. It is chased with birds, flowers, animals, shells, fruiting vines and baskets of grapes and other fruit and surmounted by a carved bloodstone. As a nifty little surprise, the interior of the lid is embellished with a polychrome miniature of a Bacchanalian festival. The miniature shows Bacchus, god of wine, surrounded by putti picking and eating an abundance of grapes. The pannier-shape of the box mimics the containers used to hold the grapes at the harvest.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: King George V’s Bloodstone Box, Before 1896

Bloodstone Box
Before 1896
The Royal Collection

This masterpiece of gold and rose-cut diamonds is the work of Michael Perchin of Fabergé and was created before 1896. It belonged to the Grand Duchess Marie, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (d.1920) and was presented by her daughters to King George V after her death.

The box has been created in the neo-rococo style which was very popular in St Petersburg in the 1880s and 1890s. This is one of several bloodstone boxes which were created by the house of Fabergé. In 1891 Carl Fabergé himself produced the Imperial Easter Egg known as the Memory of Azov Egg in the neo-rococo style and made which resembles this box in that it is designed in a combination of bloodstone with gold mounts set with diamonds.

King George V offered the box to his wife, Queen Mary, who displayed it with her impressive collection of Fabergé objects.