Box

François-Nicolas Chevance

1781–82 · Gold · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Beginning in the 1750s French goldsmiths introduced subtle colors into their gold boxes by using various types of gold. This box as well as the one for rouge and patches on display nearby has applied ornament in greenish and reddish gold, achieved by the addition of metal oxides to the alloy. This bonbonnière, used for sweets, is decorated with incised and applied dots that play on the shape of the circular box. The finely incised lines were created by turning the box against a cutting edge while it was mounted on a lathe.

Artist

François-Nicolas Chevance

Date

1781–82

Medium

Gold

Culture

French, Paris

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Bequest of Catherine D. Wentworth, 1948