{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O156530"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O156530/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BU2137/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BU2137/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2008BU2137","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BU2655","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BU2654","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BU2653","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BU2652","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BU2388","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BU2387","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BU2386","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BU2385","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BU2138","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MA8967","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MB4700","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O156530/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O156530","accessionNumber":"LOAN:GILBERT.408-2008","objectType":"Snuffbox","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Ivory carving was a speciality of Dieppe in northern France. Ships trading between France and west Africa brought large quantities of elephant ivory into the town, which was then carved into small decorative objects. By 1731, 12 master carvers and 250 workmen were recorded as active in the ivory trade. \r\n\r\nThis box is carved with a scene showing the family of the defeated Persian king  Darius III kneeling before Alexander the Great. The kindness shown by Alexander to his defeated enemy became a symbol of mercy. The scene is based on a painting of 1660 by Charles le Brun.  This box was probably made in Dieppe, ca.1750.\r\n\r\nInside the lid of the box is a portrait miniature of John, first Earl Spencer (1734-84) painted by Jean-Etienne Liotard. Liotard, a native of Geneva, worked in Paris from 1723 onward. He received a commission in 1735 for a portrait of Pope Clement XII. From Rome, he journeyed to Constantinople and remained in the Middle East for about four years before returning to Paris via Venice. In 1753, he visited England and painted the portrait of Princess of Wales. The miniature in this box was presumably executed at that time.\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":"A rectangular, gold-mounted ivory snuffbox comprising six panels of ivory. The cover carved with Darius, King of Persia, and his family before Alexander the Great. The walls of the box carved with scrolls and floral swags with birds and the base with an asymmetrical design of scrolls and flowers. The mounts are chased with waved lines and matting and a flaring thumbpiece. A miniature of John, first Earl Spencer, is mounted inside the lid. The Earl is shown facing to his right with a long light brown wig tied with white bow, and blue and white dress.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Liotard, Jean Etienne","id":"A20623"},"association":{"text":"painter","id":"AAT25136"},"note":"miniature"},{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":"snuffbox"}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"gold","id":"AAT11021"},{"text":"ivory","id":"AAT11857"},{"text":"enamel","id":"AAT14910"},{"text":"copper","id":"AAT11020"},{"text":"glass","id":"AAT10797"}],"techniques":[{"text":"chasing","id":"AAT54016"},{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"},{"text":"painting (image-making)","id":"AAT54216"},{"text":"enamelling","id":"x37485"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Chased gold, carved ivory and glazed miniature","categories":[{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"},{"text":"Containers","id":"THES48972"},{"text":"Portraits","id":"THES48906"},{"text":"Personal accessories","id":"THES48912"},{"text":"Enamels","id":"THES48876"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2008BU2137","2008BU2655","2008BU2654","2008BU2653","2008BU2652","2008BU2388","2008BU2387","2008BU2386","2008BU2385","2008BU2138","2019MA8967","2019MB4700"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"70B","id":"THES413996"},"free":"","case":"CA002","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"snuffbox","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Dieppe","id":"x34927"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"box, probably"},{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"miniature"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1755","earliest":"1750-01-01","latest":"1759-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"date":{"text":"ca. 1750","earliest":"1745-01-01","latest":"1754-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"6.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"3.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Engraved 'John 1st Earl Spencer painted by Jean Etienne Liotard'","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 bezel"}],"objectHistory":"Provenance: The earls Spencer, Althorp.  S.J.  Phillips, London, 1988.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Rectangular snuffbox carved with Darius, King of Persia and family with miniature inside. Gold, ivory, glazed miniature. Box: Probably Dieppe, miniature: Jean-Etienne Liotard, 1755","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. 4, pp. 38-9.  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.76, p. 95. 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. 35, pp. 82-83. ISBN 0856675334."},{"reference":{"text":"Trusted, Marjorie, <u>Baroque & Later Ivories</u>, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2013","id":"AUTH329728"},"details":"p. 269","free":""}],"production":"The miniature by Jean-Etienne Liotard, London, ca.1755, the box probably Dieppe, France, ca.1750. The carved scene on the cover is based on a painting of 1660 by Charles le Brun.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Alexander the Great","id":"N28"},{"text":"Spencer, John (1st Earl)","id":"N10617"},{"text":"Daruis III (King of Persia)","id":"N10622"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"rocaille","id":"AAT132707"},{"text":"fruit","id":"AAT11868"},{"text":"flowers","id":"x35571"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"13. Snuffbox with John, 1st Earl Spencer\r\nMiniature, about 1755. Box, about 1750\r\n\r\nSwiss artist Liotard produced works in pastel, watercolour and enamel for international patrons.\r\n\r\nMiniature: London, England; Jean-Etienne Liotard (1702–89)\r\nBox: probably Dieppe, France\r\nEnamel on copper, in ivory and gold box\r\nMuseum no. Loan:Gilbert.408-2008","date":{"text":"16/11/2016 - 2024","earliest":"2016-11-16","latest":"2024-12-31"}},{"text":"Snuffbox with John,\r\n1st Earl Spencer\r\nMiniature: about 1755. Box: about 1750\r\n\r\nJean-Etienne Liotard produced work for important\r\npatrons across Europe in pastel, watercolour and\r\nenamel, and visited London several times. He enjoyed\r\nthe patronage of the Princess of Wales.\r\n\r\nMiniature: London, England; Jean-Etienne Liotard\r\n(1702–89)\r\nBox: probably Dieppe, France\r\nEnamel on copper, in ivory and gold box\r\nMuseum no. Loan:Gilbert.408-2008","date":{"text":"2009","earliest":"2009-01-01","latest":"2009-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["LOAN:GILBERT.408-2008"],"accessionNumberNum":"408","accessionNumberPrefix":"LOAN:GILBERT","accessionYear":2008,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Arthur Gilbert Number","id":"THES50383"},"number":"GB 137"},{"type":{"text":"The Gilbert Collection, Somerset House","id":"THES50384"},"number":"1996.485"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2025PD4291","2016JF1725","2018LC1296","2019LP2916","2019LV0980","2019LW3530"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-18","recordCreationDate":"2008-06-19","availableToBook":false}}