{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O156627"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O156627/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009CR4320/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009CR4320/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2009CR4320","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CR4326","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CR4325","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CR4324","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CR4257","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CR4256","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CR4255","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2024NW8704","copyright":"© Victoria & Albert Museum","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2024NW8703","copyright":"© Victoria & Albert Museum","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2024NW8702","copyright":"© Victoria & Albert Museum","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O156627/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O156627","accessionNumber":"LOAN:GILBERT.665-2008","objectType":"Tobacco box","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Sir 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":"Silver rectangular tobacco box standing on a stepped, moulded foot","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Lamerie, Paul de","id":"A8591"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"silver","id":"AAT11029"}],"techniques":[{"text":"casting","id":"AAT53104"},{"text":"engraving (incising)","id":"AAT53829"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Cast and engraved silver","categories":[{"text":"Containers","id":"THES48972"},{"text":"Personal accessories","id":"THES48912"},{"text":"Smoking accessories","id":"THES49036"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2009CR4320","2009CR4326","2009CR4325","2009CR4324","2009CR4257","2009CR4256","2009CR4255","2024NW8704","2024NW8703","2024NW8702"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"71","id":"THES49723"},"free":"","case":"CA016","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"tobacco box","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"assayed","id":"x42656"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1723-24","earliest":"1723-01-01","latest":"1724-12-31"},"association":{"text":"hallmarked","id":"x32454"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"12","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"9.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Weight","value":"551","unit":"g","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"[1] SAMUELI PARR        Robertus Fellowes,        ME        DONO DEDIT;        Amicitiae pignus        ET NICOTIANAE SACELLUM","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"[1] Robert Fellowes presented me to Samuel Parr as a gift. A token of friendship and a receptacle for nicotine. ","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Latin; Front side; engraved\r\nTranslation by MD with input from KK"},{"content":"[2] Deliciis tabaci curae minuuntur amara[e]/Gratior it que dies, nox et amica fugit","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"[2] Bitter cares are softened by the pleasures of tobacco. Therefore the day goes past more pleasantly, and the night flees away in a friendly fashion. ","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Latin; sides; engraved\r\nTranslation by MD with input from KK"},{"content":"[3] Vix unum invenies duris in rebus amicum/Attamen, hic, fidus qui sit amicus habes","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"[3] You will hardly find one friend in adversity. Nevertheless, here you have one who is a faithful friend.","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Latin; sides; engraved\r\nTranslation by MD with input from KK"}],"objectHistory":"The arms are those of Parr. Dr. Samuel Parr (1747 - 1825) was a collateral descendant of Catherine Parr, the sixth wife of Henry VIII. During his early career he was a schoolmaster and subsequently became a theologian, with something of a reputation for pompous pedantry. He is frequently compared with Dr. Johnson, with whom he was slightly acquainted, but the comparison is seldom favourable. William Field, his biographer, says of him, for example, that ' he had Johnson's pomposity without his force of mind, Johnson's love of antithesis, without his logical acuteness, and Johnson's roughness without his sense of humour' (cited in the 'Dictionary of National Biography, 1975 ed., s.v. 'Parr'). He was a passionate Whig and a staunch supporter of Queen Caroline during her public vilification and estrangement from George IV in 1820. On her return to England he visited her and became her chaplain.  Dr. Robert Fellowes (1771-1847) the donor of the box was born of modest means but became a philanthropist on a grand scale after he was left a fortune of some ú200,000 in 1824 by Francis Mascares, the mathematician and reformer. Fellowes spent considerable sums on a variety of public and private causes, such as the promotion of London University and the study of natural philosophy at Edinburgh. He also campaigned energetically for the opening of Regent's Park to the public. Before he received his inheritance, he was greatly indebted to his friend Parr, who arranged for his introduction to Queen Caroline, as a result of which, he became her private secretary. Fellowes was as devoted as Parr to the Queen's cause and is thought to have written the replies to all the public addressess presented to her in 1820.  Although the inscriptions on the tobacco box are undated, it is tempting to attribute the gift to Fellowes gratitude to Parr for his introduction to Queen Caroline. It is a highly personalised gift: both Fellowes and Parr were able classical scholars and Parr himself was an inveterate smoker. He is said to have 'smoked all day and told with pride how the Prince Regent joined him in pipe at Carlton House; and he used to make the youngest lady present give him a light till his friends persuaded him to give up the practice.' (The Dictionary of National Biography, 1975 ed., s.v. 'Parr').  In spite of its association with tobacco at the time of its presentation, this box was probably originally part of a toilet service. A similar box of 1724 by the same maker is in the Assheton Bennett Collection in the City of Manchester Art Gallery (Manchester, 1965, cat. no. 232, pl. XXIV). An example of almost identical form, hallmarked for 1721, bears the mark of de Lamerie probably overstriking the mark of Paul Crespin. (Schroder, 1988, pp. 175, 177)\r\r\r\nProvenance: Dr.Samuel Parr.  Sale, Phillips, lot 280, January 22, 1982.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Silver rectangular tobacco box, London, Paul de Lamerie, 1723-1724.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Schroder, Timothy. <u>The Gilbert collection of gold and silver</u>. Los Angeles (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) 1988, cat. no. 42, pp. 175-79. ISBN.0875871445"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["LOAN:GILBERT.665-2008"],"accessionNumberNum":"665","accessionNumberPrefix":"LOAN:GILBERT","accessionYear":2008,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Arthur Gilbert Number","id":"THES50383"},"number":"SG 135"},{"type":{"text":"The Gilbert Collection, Somerset House","id":"THES50384"},"number":"1996.71"},{"type":{"text":"Arthur Gilbert Number","id":"THES50383"},"number":"SG 122B"},{"type":{"text":"The Gilbert Collection, Somerset House","id":"THES50384"},"number":"1996.907"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LT8166"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-12","recordCreationDate":"2008-06-18","availableToBook":false}}