Gifts of Grandeur: The Jean-Pierre Ador Snuffbox, 1762-66

Enameled Gold Snuffbox
1762-1766
This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The base of this handsome snuffbox bears the arms of Baron Nicolaus von Korff (1710-66) who was a distinguished soldier in the Russian army. The, made in St. Petersburg between 1762-66, is enameled with the five chivalric orders that the baron received: the Russian Orders of St Andrew (cover) and Alexander Nevsky (right side), Prussian Order of the Black Eagle (front), Polish Order of the White Eagle (back) and Order of St Anne of Holstein (left side).

Made by Jean-Pierre Ador, the box is part of the magnificent Gilbert Collection at the V&A. The original stamped leather box remains—still lined with silk. 

Mastery of Design: The Gilbert Micromosaic Bracelet, 1870

Roman Micromosaic Bracelet,
Italy, 1870
Part of a Parure
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Sir Arthur and Rosalinde Gilbert, as we’ve discussed before, amassed one of the world’s most important collections of silver, mosaics, enameled portrait miniatures, jewels, gold objects and snuffboxes—a collection which they bequeathed to the Victoria & Albert Museum. 

This magnificent micromosaic bracelet is just one of the beautiful pieces in the collection.  As the collection notes state, “The grandeur of the gold work and the imposing scale of this piece, part of a set of jewellery, are in sharp contrast with the simple, rustic scenes depicting figures in traditional costume.”

Characteristic of the grandly set pastoral scenes which defined micromosaic jewels of the 1870s, this gold bracelet is set with an octagonal micromosaic depicting a seated woman in peasant dress with a sheep at her side.  The scene is enveloped by a gold frame with five graduated arch-shaped micromosaics on the top and bottom.  The two side panels, attached to two gold panels with spool-shaped hinges, hold a micromosaic of a dove with a laurel branch.

This was made in Rome, Italy, about 1870, by an unknown jeweler.  The work is similar to that of the Roman firm of Castellani which is credited for introducing historical styles in micromosaics in the second half of the nineteenth century.  However, we can’t be certain that this piece comes from the Castellani workshop.  

Mastery of Design: The Putti Snuffbox, 1750

Click images to enlarge.
German Snuffbox
Circa 1750
This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

I always like the snuffboxes that are constructed of different media. Typically, we see examples made of precious metals or porcelain, but every so often, we get one of shell or bone which is just lovely. This one is made of tortoiseshell—a medium which found its way into a variety of the decorative arts.

The cartouche-shaped box depicts a scene of putti playing in a fountain—as they do. It’s quite a clever use of carious precious materials. The pilasters with their scrolling decoration are made of inlaid gold while the putti themselves are rendered in ivory. Mother-of-pearl inlay forms the fountain while lapis lazuli and malachite add notes of blue and green respectively to the piece.

There’s no doubt as to the Rococo influence here. Made around 1750, this box is a nifty example of a German take on the Rococo. There’s some debate about just where in Germany the box was made. Some say Southern Germany, particularly Bavaria, while others insist that the piece was constructed in Berlin.

The sides are adorned with more putti and gold shells while the base is engraved with a gold rocaille. The reeded mount comes alive with shell and the scrolled thumb-piece adds interest to the front. Today, the box forms part of the magnificent Gilbert Collection at the V&A. 

Gifts of Grandeur: A Set of Micromosaic Studs and Buttons, c. 1850

Micromosaic Buttons
Italy, c. 1850
This and all related images from the Victoria & Albert Museum

An English gentleman of the 1850s would have reserved a decorative set of buttons and studs such as these for evening wear.  This set, containing ten buttons and two studs, would have adorned his waistcoat and shirt.  The double-breasted style which was the fashion of the time would have required this number.  The two studs were employed to secure the front of the short which would have been visible above the waistcoat.

This particular suite is part of the collection of micromosaic jewelry which was bequeathed to the V&A by Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde.  The buttons each show Roman monuments surrounded by frames of black glass.  They were made in the Vatican Mosaic Workshop in Rome.  

Gifts of Grandeur: The Delisle Snuffbox, 1743-44

Snuffbox
France, 1743-44
This and all related images from
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Another snuffbox from the collection of Sir Arthur and Rosalinde Gilbert, this Eighteenth Century snuffbox was made in France at the apex of the fashionable snuff craze. The box features panels of mother-of-pearl which are carved with a scene of a couple in court dress. They are surrounded by cherubs, which, frankly, I would think a little unnerving. 

The mother-of-pearl panels are reverse painted with landscapes which are now substantially faded and worn. Imagine how vivid they must have looked in 1743 when the box was new. The gold mounts have been decorated with a wave pattern. 

This box is the work of Jacques-André Delisle who joined the goldsmith's guild by letters patent in July of 1718, sponsored by the gold-box maker Pierre de Roussy.

Mastery of Design: The Gilbert Nef, 1610

Nef
Silver Gilt
Germany, 1610
This and all related images:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Decorated vessels like this one, in the form of a ship, are historically known as “nefs,” (meaning “ship”) and date back to medieval France.  These strange objects served both decorative and functional purposes.  The one that we see here was most likely meant for display, the spout protruding from the bow suggesting, however, that it could have been used as a ewer.

Very often, these vessels were outfitted with little surprises inside.  Here, the upper section of this nef which is modeled in the form of a two-masted ship, lifts off the hull to reveal a lizard in the bowl.  Yay!  Always a treat!

The nef is adorned with cold-enameled figures and a cannon on deck with other figures climbing the rigging and mainmast. The oval base is chased with gadroons and naturalistic foliage with three applied figures of lizards.  The stem is modeled as a tree trunk with an engraved foliage calyx at the top while the repoussé hull of the ship is chased with cartouches of sea monsters and scrolls and fruit on a matted ground.

An applied mask adorns the bow and the mizzenmast has two furled sails, the mainsail is engraved with a later coat of arms, and a flag is flying from the top of the mainmast.

This piece, from the Gilbert Collection, was made around 1610 in Regensburg, Germany, of raised, cast, chased silver and gilded silver (silver-gilt) with cold-enamel.

Gifts of Grandeur: The Louis-Guillaume Cassé Snuffbox, 1761-1762

Snuffbox
French, 1761-1762
The Victoria & Albert Museum

While we’ve seen snuffboxes take many shapes and forms, during the rise of the Rococo, boxes tended to be rectangular. The shape provided ample room on each side for additional adornment during a period when the fashion for boxes painted with intricate scenes was at an all-time high.

The box pictured above is painted with a scene on the lid which is after an engraving of François Boucher's “Le Concert Chinois.” Paintings by François Boucher and David Teniers were often replicated on the lids of snuffboxes.

Now part of the collection of Sir Arthur and Rosalinde Gilbert this snuffbox dates between 1761 and 1762 and is made of varicolored gold with the cover and base enameled en plein with grisaille chinoiserie scenes of a mother and child with a musician against a dark red ground. The typical Rococo adornment of chased fluting, shells and foliage make an unsurprising appearance. More interesting, the sides of the box—consisting of chased, multi-colored gold—are beautifully decorated with chinoiseries of birds and figures bordered by bright-cut straps and paterae.

This is the work of the goldsmiths at the French firm of Louis-Guillaume Cassé.

Gifts of Grandeur: The Joseph-Etienne Blerzy Snuffbox, 1775-1776

Click on image to enlarge.

Snuffbox
France, 1775-1776
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Another snuffbox from the collection of Sir Arthur and Rosalinde Gilbert, this one is a true masterpiece of translucent red enamel over an engine-turned background. One would think that engine-turned patterns would be easier to produce than those engraved by hand, but, in reality, precise engine-turning requites a vast amount of skill from the operator who must constantly be alert that the individual portions of the design line up properly. Another difficult task in this process is ensuring that the engraving isn’t too deep and that the depth remains consistent. Therefore, this snuffbox is a triumph and a glorious example of the workmaster’s skill. 

This is the work of Joseph-Etienne Blerzy, a French goldsmith working in Paris. It was made between 1775 and 1776, and, I should note that the jeweled monogram “LM” came at a later date. The rectangular box features canted corners and is adorned with a white border of enamel and enameled fruiting foliage and pilasters draped with swags. The interlaced ribbon of rose-cut diamonds is original to the piece, but, as I said, it’s believed that the diamond monogram was added in the Nineteenth Century.

To Serve and Project: The Jean-Pierre Ador Snuffbox, 1762-66

Enameled Gold Snuffbox
1762-1766
This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The base of this handsome snuffbox bears the arms of Baron Nicolaus von Korff (1710-66) who was a distinguished soldier in the Russian army. The, made in St. Petersburg between 1762-66, is enameled with the five chivalric orders that the baron received: the Russian Orders of St Andrew (cover) and Alexander Nevsky (right side), Prussian Order of the Black Eagle (front), Polish Order of the White Eagle (back) and Order of St Anne of Holstein (left side).

Made by Jean-Pierre Ador, the box is part of the magnificent Gilbert Collection at the V&A. The original stamped leather box remains—still lined with silk. 

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.