Snuffbox

Unknown

1710–20 · Gold · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

The delicate engraving on this gold snuffbox, incorporating classical busts and trophies, suggests a patron of considerable stature. It was made for Sir Samuel Ongley, a merchant and investor who made a large fortune in the South Sea Company, and was knighted by Queen Anne in 1713. The popularity of snuff was at its height in the early decades of the eighteenth century, and a gold snuffbox was an incontestable sign of wealth.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1710–20

Medium

Gold

Culture

British

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Gift of Irwin Untermyer, 1970