{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O156757"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O156757/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BU2174/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BU2174/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2008BU2174","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BU2114","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BU2112","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BU2113","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BU2111","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/O156757/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O156757","accessionNumber":"LOAN:GILBERT.501-2008","objectType":"Snuffbox","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"The Meissen Porcelain Manufactory, located about 25 km from Dresden, Germany, produced a large quantity of porcelain snuffboxes from about 1735 to 1765, a period which roughly coincided with the directorship of Heinrich Count von Brühl (1700-63). Von Brühl was himself a collector who possessed over 700 snuffboxes. \n\r\nSnuffboxes made out of porcelain followed the shapes of those made in gold and hardstones. Painted scenes or portraits ornamented the sides, covers and interiors. Changing forms and decoration were important, as these fashion accessories might be chosen to match the season or a particular costume. Most European (though rarely English) porcelain factories made snuffboxes. The largest producer was Meissen in Germany, which manufactured vast quantities of boxes from about 1735-65. A price list of 1765 mentions 11 varieties, the cheapest painted with flowers.\n\nAn inscription in French on the cover dedicates it 'To the most faithful, wherever she is found.' The inside cover shows a view of London, with St Olaf's church in the foreground, Old London Bridge and the Tower of London seen from the south bank of the river Thames. The box may have been commissioned from Meissen by an English customer.\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":"Rectangular gold-mounted hard-paste porcelain snuffbox in the form of a sealed letter, the cover painted in black with the inscription A LA PLUS FIDELLE, PARTOUT OU ELLE SE TROUVE bordered by flowers.  The interior of the cover is painted with a view of London, with St.Olaf's church in the foreground, Old London Bridge, and the Tower of London in the distance; the interior of the base is painted in blue with flower beads on a 'tiled' ground; the moulded exterior of the base painted with bands of flowers around a Minerva's head.  The box is mounted in gold which is chased with undulating scrolls.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Meissen porcelain factory","id":"A9173"},"association":{"text":"makers","id":"AAT251917"},"note":"mounts"}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"gold","id":"AAT11021"},{"text":"enamel","id":"AAT14910"},{"text":"porcelain","id":"AAT10662"}],"techniques":[{"text":"chasing","id":"AAT54016"},{"text":"painting (image-making)","id":"AAT54216"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Chased gold, enamelled hard-paste porcelain","categories":[{"text":"Containers","id":"THES48972"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"},{"text":"Plaques & Plaquettes","id":"THES49031"},{"text":"Porcelain","id":"THES48907"},{"text":"Personal accessories","id":"THES48912"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2008BU2174","2008BU2114","2008BU2112","2008BU2113","2008BU2111"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"71","id":"THES49723"},"free":"","case":"CA017","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"snuffbox","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Meissen","id":"x35076"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"Dresden","id":"x28810"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"possibly"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1755","earliest":"1750-01-01","latest":"1759-12-31"},"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":"Height","value":"2.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"8.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"5.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Weight","value":"120","unit":"g","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"13/03/2020","earliest":"2020-03-13","latest":"2020-03-13"},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"","value":"","unit":"","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Measured 23/01/24 CV ","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Provenance: Private Collection, Zurich. Acquired by Arthur Gilbert from S.J. Phillips Ltd, London, 1996.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Gold, enamel and porcelain, Meissen (porcelain) and Dresden (mounts), Germany, ca.1755","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Beaucamp-Markowsky, Barbara.  <u>Boîtes en porcelaine des manufactures européennes au 18è siècle</u>. 632 p., ill. Fribourg: Office du Livre, 1985."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Truman, Charles.<u>The Gilbert collection of gold boxes, volume II</u>, London: Philip Wilson Publishers Ltd., 1999, cat. no. 30, p. 54.  ISBN.0856675210."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Zech, Heike. 'Goldboxes in the Gilbert Collection at the V & A'.   In : <u>Art Antiques London</u>.  Catalogue of Art Antiques London, incorporating The International Ceramics Fair & Seminar, 10 June - 16 June 2010.  London: Haughton International Fairs, 2010, p.18, ill."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Zech, Heike. <u>Gold Boxes. Masterpieces from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection. </u>London: V&A Publishing, 2015, pp. 76-77, no. 22.  ISBN 987-1-85177-840-9"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Minter, Alice et al. <u>Masterpieces in Miniature: Treasures from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection.</u> London: V&A Publishing, 2021, p.69, cat.46"}],"production":"The panorama of London depicted inside the lid is inspired by a view engraved by Matthäus Merian, 1638, which in turn was adapted from the famous 1616 panorama of London by Claes Visscher (1586-1652).","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"castle","id":"AAT6891"},{"text":"church","id":"AAT7466"},{"text":"river","id":"x41254"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"4. Letter-shaped snuffbox with view of London\r\nAbout 1755\r\n\r\nAn inscription in French on the cover dedicates this box ‘To the most faithful, wherever she is found’. The inside cover shows a view of London, with Old London Bridge and the Tower of London seen from the south bank of the River Thames.\r\n\r\nBox: Meissen, Germany; enamelled after a view of London by Matthäus Merian (1638), adapted from a print published by Johann Visscher (1616)\r\nMounts: possibly Dresden, Germany\r\nHard-paste porcelain, enamel colours and gold\r\nMuseum no. Loan:Gilbert.501-2008","date":{"text":"16/11/2016 - 2024","earliest":"2016-11-16","latest":"2024-12-31"}},{"text":"Letter-shaped snuffbox with view of London\r\nAbout 1755\r\nAn inscription in French on the cover dedicates this box ‘To the most faithful, wherever she is found’. The inside cover shows a view of London, with St Olaf’s church in the foreground, Old London Bridge and the Tower of London seen from the south bank of the river Thames.\r\nThe box may have been commissioned from Meissen by an English customer.\r\nBox: Meissen, Germany; enamelled after a view of London by M. Merion (1638), adapted from a print published by Johann Visscher (1616)\r\nMounts: possibly Dresden, Germany\r\nHard-paste porcelain, enamel colours and gold\r\nMuseum no. Loan:Gilbert.501-2008","date":{"text":"2009","earliest":"2009-01-01","latest":"2009-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["LOAN:GILBERT.501-2008"],"accessionNumberNum":"501","accessionNumberPrefix":"LOAN:GILBERT","accessionYear":2008,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Arthur Gilbert Number","id":"THES50383"},"number":"GB 215"},{"type":{"text":"The Gilbert Collection, Somerset House","id":"THES50384"},"number":"1998.17"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2025PE1506","2018LC1700","2019LM5640","2019LT6726","2019LW9764"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-07","recordCreationDate":"2008-06-19","availableToBook":false}}