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Snuff box: M.1-1938

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An image of Snuff box
An image of Snuff box
Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Silversmith: Unknown

Entities

Categories

Description

Oval silver box chased with animals from Aesop's fables and set with a carved bloodstone and a mother-of-pearl plaque

Silver chased and set with a carved bloodstone and a mother-of-pearl plaque. Oval with a flat back, slightly convex sides and a recessed hinge. The almost flat lid is chased with four panels each containing animals from Aesop's fables, including a fox, raven, dog, cockerel and chicken. In the centre is an oval bloodstone intaglio depicting the family of the Emperor Darius before Alexander and Hephaestion. The sides are chased with four panels containing a fox, a rabbit, houses and birds. The base is set with a large oval mother-of-pearl plaque.

Notes

History note: Formerly the property of Dr F.H.H. Guillemard (1852-1933)

Legal notes

Given by A.F. Schofield

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1938-02-08) by Schofield, A. F.

Dating

18th Century, Early
After 1700 CE - 1740 CE

Note

The intaglio is possibly based on the the engraving by Robert Edelinck, which is after the painting of 1660 by Charles Lebrun 'La Reine de Perses aux Pieds d'Alexandre'. However, it is in reverse to both the engraving and painting and has been simplified.

The silver does not bear a maker's mark

School or Style

French

People, subjects and objects depicted

Components of the work

Base composed of mother-of-pearl
Stone composed of bloodstone
Box composed of silver
Box And Lid Height 2.4 cm Length 6.4 cm Width 4.3 cm
Bloodstone Length 2.1 cm Width 1.8 cm
Borders, Etc.
Decoration
Lid And Sides
Mother-of-pearl

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: M.1-1938
Primary reference Number: 150725

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Monday 29 April 2024

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Snuff box" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/150725 Accessed: 2025-12-05 07:10:38

Citation for Wikipedia

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/150725 |title=Snuff box |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-05 07:10:38|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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        <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Snuff box</figcaption>
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