{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O124472"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O124472/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010EA4401/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010EA4401/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2010EA4401","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010DM2659","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O124472/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O124472","accessionNumber":"E.897:30-1988","objectType":"Design","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Design for the top and sides of an oval, gold neo-classical snuffbox, 1759, by Pierre-Philippe Choffard (1730-1809).  The blank panels are for enamels.  This is the earliest known dated design for a neo-classical snuffbox.  It is from an album of designs that date from about 1735-1820 and include snuffboxes, scent holders, watches and watch cases, spoons, fans and fan mounts, small swords, and chatelaines (ornamental chains, pins, or clasps usually worn at a woman's waist, to which trinkets, keys, purses, or other articles are attached).   \r\n\r\nThere is a close relationship between the contents of the album and known work by three Parisian goldsmiths, Jean Ducrollay (1710-1787), Pierre- François Drais (active 1761-1788), and Charles Ouizille (1744-1830) whose names appear on the first page of the album. This suggests that all the designs emanate from their workshops.  Drais worked for the Court at Versailles as jeweller to both King Louis XV and Louis XVI. Ouizille worked in this capacity for Louis XVI. Most of the material dates from the period 1755-90.   It was Choffard who engraved Drais's trade card in 1761, a copy of which is pasted into the front of the album (E.897.5-1988).","physicalDescription":"Design for the top and sides of an oval gold neo-classical snuffbox on an octagonal sheet of paper.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Choffard, Pierre-Philippe","id":"A17663"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Ink","id":"AAT15012"},{"text":"Watercolour","id":"x33202"},{"text":"Paper","id":"x30308"}],"techniques":[{"text":"Drawing","id":"x32498"},{"text":"painting","id":"x30598"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pen and ink and watercolour on paper","categories":[{"text":"Designs","id":"THES48968"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2010EA4401","2010DM2659"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLE","id":"THES49657"},"free":"","case":"SB5","shelf":"SH6","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"designs","id":"AAT102051"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Paris","id":"x29068"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1759","earliest":"1759-01-01","latest":"1759-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchased with the assistance of Wartski Limited","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"13.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"8.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'PP...choffard fecit 1759'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Signed and dated in handwriting in pen and ink beneath the side elevation of the snuff-box."}],"objectHistory":"Provenance: Bought limited. Bought with the assistance of contributions from Wartski Limited.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Design,for the top and sides of an oval gold neo-classical snuffbox, Pierre-Philippe Choffard, 1759, Paris","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Fuhring, Peter. <u> A Newly Discovered Album of Goldsmith's Designs</u> In Armin B. Allen (ed.) <u> An Exhibition of Ornamental Drawings</u>. New York, 1987."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Fuhring, Peter. <u>Design into Art, Drawings for Architecture and Ornament. The Lodewijk Houthakker Collection</u>, 1989."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Truman, Charles.<u> The Gilbert Collection of Gold Boxes</u>. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1990, 17 no., 25 fig., ill."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Snowman, A. K. <u>Eighteenth-Century Gold Boxes of Europe</u>. Woodbridge. Antique Collectors' Club, 1990."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Zech, Heike. <u>Gold Boxes. Masterpieces from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection. </u>London: V&A Publishing, 2015, p. 48, ill.  ISBN 987-1-85177-840-9"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Heike Zech,<u> 'Designs for Gold Boxes in the Album of the Workshop of Jean Ducrollay and his Successors'</u>, in <i>Going for Gold: craftsmanship and collecting of gold boxes</i>, ed. Tessa Murdoch and Heike Zech (Sussex academic press, 2014). "}],"production":"A very similar box, made by Jean Ducrollay, 1760-61, is in the Gilbert Collection (Truman 1990, no.17).  The blank panels are for enamels. For a round box using the same elevation design, not apparently by Choffard but drawn in his manner, see (241). This is reproduced in Truman 1990 (fig. 25) as showing (30). Choffard engraved the trade-card of Drais in1761.  This is the earliest known dated design for a neo-classical snuff-box.\n\nAttribution note: The centre of the plan of the top of the snuffbox is cancelled with a pencil stroke.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"snuffboxes","id":"AAT196983"}],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"neo-classical","id":"x40022"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.897:30-1988"],"accessionNumberNum":"897","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1988,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-05-07","recordCreationDate":"2006-05-31","availableToBook":false}}