Snuffbox (ca. 1770–75)
Original title: Snuffbox
kurzbeschreibung
Made in Switzerland around 1770–75, this oval gold box with enamel work is attributed to the artist A. P. C. Its front carries an enamel painting of three putti dancing around a goat, framed by floral ornament and Greek key bands.
Description
A dense pattern of Greek key bands runs across the entire body of the box. The front is given over to a large oval enamel picture: three putti dancing around a goat, the figures pale in relief against a dark ground. To either side sit two smaller oval panels with further putti interacting. Gold and white set the tone, with pink and blue as accents, alongside flower and leaf motifs in gold and enamel.
Context
In the second half of the eighteenth century, fine goldsmith work and enamel painting were in demand among wealthy collectors in Switzerland, and this box belongs to that moment. The signature A. P. C. is that of an artist still not securely identified, whose work stands in the tradition of Geneva and Swiss goldsmithing. Boxes like this served for taking snuff, but they were also status objects and gifts at court.
Impact
Shining gold, carefully painted enamel pictures and delicate touches of colour give the piece something precious and at the same time light. The dancing putti and the rich ornament lend it a cheerful, almost bucolic air, in keeping with the Rococo taste of those years.
Technique
Fashioned from gold and decorated with enamel, the box owes its effect to fine detail work in which the enamel pictures are applied. Key bands and floral motifs appear in both gold and enamel and call for great precision of hand. At roughly 4 × 9 × 4.8 cm the form stays compact, yet it is elaborately worked.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)