{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O156456"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O156456/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BW4538/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BW4538/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2008BW4538","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BW4549","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BW4548","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BW4547","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BW4546","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O156456/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O156456","accessionNumber":"LOAN:GILBERT.368-2008","objectType":"Snuffbox","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"The green enamel plaques decorating this box, of putti with wreaths of flowers and musical instruments, are in the style of the painter François Boucher. Brown translucent enamel covers the ground of the box, an unusual and possibly experimental colour choice. The surface beneath the brown enamel is decorated with engine-turning. This style of decoration, using a mechanical engine to decorate the surface became popular around 1750. Engine-turning can be carried out in straight or curved lines, allowing a variety of patterns to be produced, using straight-line or circular machines. Although the decoration is carried out with a machine, great skill is required from the operator to ensure that pieces are properly aligned and that an equal amount of pressure is applied. \r\n\r\nThe goldsmith responsible for the box, Melchior-René Barre was apprenticed in 1751 to Jean Frémin, a maker of boxes, and became a master in 1768.\r\n\r\nSir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world’s great decorative art collections, including silver,  mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes.  Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.","physicalDescription":"An oval, varicoloured-gold snuffbox, enamelled <i>en plein</i> in translucent brown over an engine-turned ground. The box has fourteen pale green reserves, six of which show putti and eight have trophies of flowers, quivers of arrows, and musical instruments. Each of these reserves is set in a gold frame, and in turn these gold frames are joined by two-colour gold swags. The borders of the box are chased with acanthus.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Barre, Melchior-René","id":"A22314"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":"probably"}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"enamel","id":"AAT14910"},{"text":"gold","id":"AAT11021"}],"techniques":[{"text":"enamelling","id":"x37485"},{"text":"chasing","id":"AAT54016"},{"text":"engine turning","id":"AAT233401"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Engine-turned and varicoloured gold with chased gold borders and enamel","categories":[{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"},{"text":"Containers","id":"THES48972"},{"text":"Personal accessories","id":"THES48912"},{"text":"Enamels","id":"THES48876"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2008BW4538","2008BW4549","2008BW4548","2008BW4547","2008BW4546"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"023","id":"THES410167"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"snuffbox","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Paris","id":"x29068"},"association":{"text":"marked","id":"x32454"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1774-1775","earliest":"1774-01-01","latest":"1775-12-31"},"association":{"text":"marked","id":"x32454"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"6.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"5.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"2.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"An indistinct mark, probably that of Melchior-René Barre","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"In the lid, in the base, and inside the front wall"},{"content":"Paris marks ca. 1774-1775","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"In the lid, in the base, and inside the front wall"},{"content":"Restricted warranty mark for gold, Paris, May 10, 1838, onward","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"On the right side of the bezel"}],"objectHistory":"Provenance: A la Vieille Russie, New York.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Snuffbox with putti, flowers and arrows. Gold and enamel, probably Melchior-René Barre, Paris, 1774-75","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Truman, Charles.<u>The Gilbert collection of gold boxes</u>, Vol. I. Los Angeles (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) 1991, cat. no. 28, pp. 97-8.  ISBN.0875871623"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Habsburg-Lothringen, Géza von. <u>Gold boxes from the collection of Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert</u>.  R. & A. Gilbert, 1983, 125 p., ill.  Cat. no. 47, p. 93.  ISBN. 0961039809."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"putti","id":"AAT250465"},{"text":"flowers","id":"x35571"},{"text":"musical instruments","id":"AAT41620"},{"text":"arrows","id":"AAT36976"},{"text":"acanthus","id":"AAT164902"},{"text":"quivers","id":"AAT36930"},{"text":"swags","id":"x30689"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"9. Snuffbox with putti playing with a bird, 1774–75\r\n\r\nMuseum no. Loan:Gilbert.368-2008","date":{"text":"16/11/2016","earliest":"2016-11-16","latest":"2016-11-16"}},{"text":"Snuffbox with putti, flowers and arrows\r\n1774–5\r\n\r\nParis, France;\r\nprobably Melchior-René Barre (active 1768–91)\r\nChased gold and enamel\r\nMuseum no. Loan:Gilbert.368-2008","date":{"text":"2009","earliest":"2009-01-01","latest":"2009-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["LOAN:GILBERT.368-2008"],"accessionNumberNum":"368","accessionNumberPrefix":"LOAN:GILBERT","accessionYear":2008,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Arthur Gilbert Number","id":"THES50383"},"number":"GB 30"},{"type":{"text":"The Gilbert Collection, Somerset House","id":"THES50384"},"number":"1996.394"},{"type":{"text":"The Gilbert Collection, Somerset House","id":"THES50384"},"number":"1996.791.1"},{"type":{"text":"Arthur Gilbert Number","id":"THES50383"},"number":"MIN 26"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2018LC1118","2019LR2418","2019LU5184","2019LV1078"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-01","recordCreationDate":"2008-06-19","availableToBook":false}}