Snuffbox

Unknown

1748–49 · Gold, enamel · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

This enameled and engraved gold snuffbox dates to the mid-eighteenth century. The wavy stripes have been created from an alternating pattern of black and red enamel engraved with floral motifs and the pattern is reminiscent of the floral designs found in silk cloth of the period. The black and red enamel also evokes the translucent effects of Chinese and Japanese lacquer, a material that was highly prized as an exotic luxury good among the eighteenth-century European elite.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1748–49

Medium

Gold, enamel

Culture

French, Paris

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 1976