Etui with a miniature by Gerard van Spaendonck

An image of Etui. Objet de vertu/nécessaire. Spaendonck, Gerard van (Dutch, 1746-1822). Unknown box maker, France. With an oval miniature of a carved stone urn of flowers and a nest. The tapering flattened cylindrical etui necessaire has a slightly domed hinged lid with a catch, which is released by a button on the right hand side with a thumb plate above. The mounts round the miniature, initial and rims are embossed with ropework, those at the top and bottom of the etui are engraved with a pattern of zig-zags and scrolls. The front and back of the lid each have an openwork gold plaque pinned over pale green metallic foil, bearing the words 'NECESAIR' and 'D’AMITIE' respectively, framed by ribbons. On the front is a miniature, possibly painted on card. On the back is an elaborate gold openwork initial 'A' on a green metallic foil ground, under glass. The miniature depicts a two-handled stone vase carved with a cherub, containing flowers including roses, hyacinth, forget-me-nots, auricula and morning glory, next to a nest of leaves containing three eggs, all on a marble slab against a dark grey ground. The etui contains a pair of scissors, an ivory tablet with a gold stud, a pencil, a bodkin and another implement in separate compartments lined with red velvet. Red lacquer, probably on ivory, with gold mounts, a miniature on the front face and an initial on the back. Height, whole, 2.1 cm, length, whole, 8.0 cm, width, whole, 5.0 cm, circa 1766 to before 1822. Collection: Major, the Hon. H.R. Broughton.

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Etui. Objet de vertu/nécessaire. Spaendonck, Gerard van (Dutch, 1746-1822). Unknown box maker, France. With an oval miniature of a carved stone urn of flowers and a nest. The tapering flattened cylindrical etui necessaire has a slightly domed hinged lid with a catch, which is released by a button on the right hand side with a thumb plate above. The mounts round the miniature, initial and rims are embossed with ropework, those at the top and bottom of the etui are engraved with a pattern of zig-zags and scrolls. The front and back of the lid each have an openwork gold plaque pinned over pale green metallic foil, bearing the words 'NECESAIR' and 'D’AMITIE' respectively, framed by ribbons. On the front is a miniature, possibly painted on card. On the back is an elaborate gold openwork initial 'A' on a green metallic foil ground, under glass. The miniature depicts a two-handled stone vase carved with a cherub, containing flowers including roses, hyacinth, forget-me-nots, auricula and morning glory, next to a nest of leaves containing three eggs, all on a marble slab against a dark grey ground. The etui contains a pair of scissors, an ivory tablet with a gold stud, a pencil, a bodkin and another implement in separate compartments lined with red velvet. Red lacquer, probably on ivory, with gold mounts, a miniature on the front face and an initial on the back. Height, whole, 2.1 cm, length, whole, 8.0 cm, width, whole, 5.0 cm, circa 1766 to before 1822. Collection: Major, the Hon. H.R. Broughton.

Image data

Accession Number: M.141 & A-D-1973
Photograph copyright © The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
Aperture: f/22.0
Focal length: 120
Camera: Hasselblad H3DII-31
Photographer name: Amy Jugg
Image height: 1025 pixels
Image width: 764 pixels
Processed with: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5.0 (Windows)
Filesize: 456.92kB
Exposure time: 1/60
ISO Speed: 100
Fnumber: 22/1
Captured: 2014:04:10 12:15:06

Key words

18th Century 19th Century birds birds-nest case cherubs Convolvulus Dutch etui Fitz_AA floral flowers French Gerard van Spaendonck gold hinged hussif hyacinth ivory lacquer lacquered lacquering lacquerware lidded marble slab miniature Morning Glory necessaire nest objet de vertu openwork oval painting pink roses plaque rope ropework roses sewing case sewing kit slab Spaendonck urns

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            The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024)
            "Etui with a miniature by Gerard van Spaendonck"
            Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/image/media-2096791421 Accessed: 2024-12-29 10:59:23

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            {{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/image/media-2096791421
            |title=Etui with a miniature by Gerard van Spaendonck
            |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-12-29 10:59:23|publisher=The
            University of Cambridge}}

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