{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O156491"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O156491/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BW4498/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BW4498/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2008BW4498","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BW4552","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BW4551","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BW4550","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BW4517","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BW4516","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BW4515","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MA8960","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O156491/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O156491","accessionNumber":"LOAN:GILBERT.459-2008","objectType":"Snuffbox","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Alexandre Leferre, the maker of this box, was one of the most prolific box makers of the 19th century. Probably working with his brother, Jean-Louis, he is first recorded in 1806 and was still active in 1852, when this box was marked. The engraved signature on the bezel shows that it was retailed by the royal goldsmith, Jules Fossin, whose business went on to become Cartier. \n\r\nThe box is set with a miniature by the French enameller Jaques Bordier. Bordier's work with his brother-in-law Jean Petitot had a great influence on subsequent enamellers.The portrait, which dates from around 1651, shows the celebrated Parisian printer Antoine Vitré. Vitré's greatest achievement was a psalter printed both in Latin and Arabic. He was patronized by the Cardinal Richelieu and was appointed printer in oriental languages to Louis XIII and later director of the royal presses.\n\r\nA letter in the Chaumet archives (the firm who eventually took over Fossin's workshop), indicates that the box was commissioned by the Russian prince Anatole Demidoff. His family ammassed their fortune through the sale of weapons and mining in Russia. Demidoff was a passionate collector, approving the scheme put forward by Fossin to create a box to fit this 17th century miniature. Demidoff turned San Donato, his villa near Florence, into a private museum with 14 rooms dedicated solely to the collection.\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. \r\n","physicalDescription":"An octagonal, enamelled gold snuffbox, with ten panels painted with a profusion of pansies in a geometric pattern, the cover set with an enamel miniature. The enamel miniature shows the printer Antoine Vitré turned in three-quarter profile with long grey hair wearing a midnight blue robe against a grey background.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Leferre, Alexandre","id":"A23062"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":"box"},{"name":{"text":"Bordier, Jacques","id":"A23063"},"association":{"text":"enameller","id":"AAT25258"},"note":"miniature"}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"gold","id":"AAT11021"},{"text":"enamel","id":"AAT14910"}],"techniques":[{"text":"chasing","id":"AAT54016"},{"text":"engine turning","id":"AAT233401"},{"text":"enamelling","id":"x37485"},{"text":"painting","id":"AAT54216"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Chased, engine-turned and enamelled gold and enamel miniature","categories":[{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"},{"text":"Jewellery","id":"THES48930"},{"text":"Containers","id":"THES48972"},{"text":"Portraits","id":"THES48906"},{"text":"Enamels","id":"THES48876"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2008BW4498","2008BW4552","2008BW4551","2008BW4550","2008BW4517","2008BW4516","2008BW4515","2019MA8960"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"70B","id":"THES413996"},"free":"","case":"CA009","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"snuffbox","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Paris","id":"x29068"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"box"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1852","earliest":"1852-01-01","latest":"1852-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"date":{"text":"1651","earliest":"1651-01-01","latest":"1651-12-31"},"association":{"text":"enamelled","id":"x30139"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Width","value":"8.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"7.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"4.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Measured 29/01/24 IW","marksAndInscriptions":[{"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 lid"},{"content":"Inscribed 'JB / 165-' [last digit hidden]","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 lower right of the miniature"},{"content":"Mark of Alexander Leferre, goldsmith registered in Paris before 1806-about 1860","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, on the base, and on the right side of the bezel"},{"content":"Engraved 'Fossin'","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 left side of the bezel"},{"content":"Third standard mark for gold, France, May 10, 1838-June 30, 1919","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, on the base, and on the right side of the bezel"}],"objectHistory":"Provenance: \r\nThe miniature only: \nGodefroy Collection, sale Paris, 1791. \nThe Baron Roger, probably sale, Paris, April 17, 1844. \nPrince Anatole Demidoff, by 1852. \r\nThe Box: \nPrince Anatole Demidoff, from 1852. \nPrince Paul Demidoff, sale, Palais de San Donato, Paris, lot 638, 15th March - 10th April, 1880.  \nBy family tradition, Cornelius Vanderbilt II. Countess Laszlo Szechenyi, neé Gladys Moore Vanderbilt; Mrs A.  Talbot Peterson, neé Countess Szechenyi; Sotheby's, Geneva, lot 197, May 17, 1984, through S. J. Phillips, London.\n\nHistorical significance: Signed examples of Bordier's work are rare.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Enamelled gold snuffbox, the cover set with an enamel miniature. Box: Alexandre Leferre for Jules Fossin, Paris, 1852; Miniature: Jacques Bordier, probably 1651","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Schidlof, Leo R. <u>The Miniature in Europe in the 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th centuries</u>, Vol. I. Graz: Akademische Druck-u. Verlangsanstalt, 1964, p. 96."},{"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. 52, pp. 158-60.  ISBN.0875871623"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Schroder, Timothy, ed. <u>The Gilbert Collection at the V&A</u>. London (V&A Publishing) 2009, pl. 74, p. 93. ISBN9781851775934"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Coffin, Sarah and Bodo Hofstetter. <u>Portrait Miniatures in Enamel</u>. London: Philip Wilson Publishers Ltd. in association with the Gilbert Collection, 2000. 168 p., ill. Cat. no. 18, p. 66-67. ISBN 0856675334."},{"reference":{"text":"Schroder, Timothy. <i>Gold boxes : from the Gilbert collection : an exhibition</i>, Los Angeles : Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1986","id":"AUTH354598"},"details":"74 or 27","free":""}],"production":"Alexandre Leferre for Jules Fossin. The miniature by Jacques Bordier, probably 1651, after Philippe de Champaigne.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Vitré, Antoine","id":"N10634"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"pansies","id":"x38063"},{"text":"laurel swags","id":"x38378"},{"text":"pilasters","id":"AAT2737"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"1. Snuffbox with printer Antoine Vitré\r\nMiniature, probably 1651. Box, 1852\r\n\r\nBordier’s work with his brother-in-law Jean Petitot had a great influence on subsequent enamellers. Two centuries later, Prince Anatole Demidoff commissioned this extravagant box as a setting for this rare signed example of Bordier’s work.\r\n\r\nMiniature: Blois, France; Jacques Bordier (1616–84), after Philippe de Champaigne (1602–74)\r\nBox: Paris, France; Alexandre Leferre (active 1806–52) for Jules Fossin (1808–69)\r\nEnamel on metal set in gold and enamel box\r\nMuseum no. Loan:Gilbert.459-2008","date":{"text":"16/11/2016","earliest":"2016-11-16","latest":"2016-11-16"}},{"text":"Snuffbox with printer\r\nAntoine Vitré\r\nMiniature: probably 1651. Box: 1852\r\n\r\nBordier’s work with his brother-in-law Jean Petitot had a\r\ngreat influence on subsequent enamellers. Two centuries\r\nlater, Prince Anatole Demidoff commissioned this\r\nextravagant box as a setting for this rare, signed example\r\nof Bordier’s work.\r\n\r\nMiniature: Blois, France; Jacques Bordier (1616–84), after\r\nPhilippe de Champaigne (1602–74)\r\nBox: Paris, France; Alexandre Leferre (active 1806–52)\r\nfor Jules Fossin (1808–69)\r\nEnamel on metal set in gold and enamel box\r\nMuseum no. Loan:Gilbert.459-2008","date":{"text":"2009","earliest":"2009-01-01","latest":"2009-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["LOAN:GILBERT.459-2008"],"accessionNumberNum":"459","accessionNumberPrefix":"LOAN:GILBERT","accessionYear":2008,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Arthur Gilbert Number","id":"THES50383"},"number":"GB 86"},{"type":{"text":"The Gilbert Collection, Somerset House","id":"THES50384"},"number":"1996.437"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2018LC1463","2019LR4696","2019LU4178","2019LW3670"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-12","recordCreationDate":"2008-06-19","availableToBook":false}}