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Snuff box: RTR.M.4

An image of Snuff box

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Object information

Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Box maker: Unknown

Entities

Categories

Description

Gilt metal lined with tortoise shell; rectangular with concave sides, the lid embossed with two cherubs in a rococo cartouche

Gilt metal lined with tortoise shell; rectangular with concave sides, slightly convex lid and projecting shaped thumbpiece. The lid is embossed and chased in high relief with an irregular rococo cartouche containing two cherubs in a landscape. The cherub on the right holds a basket of hearts and sits next to a vase of flowers; the cherub on the left wears a cloak, and behind him are two swans. The four sides are embossed and chased with floral sprays alternating with masks and flanked by scrolls. On the base, within a rectangular rococo cartouche, the initials 'AW' in script over the date '1761' are engraved. The sides and base of the interior are lined with panels of tortoise shell.

Measurements and weight

Height: 2.8 cm
Length: 7.1 cm
Width: 5.4 cm

Dating

18th Century, Mid
George III
Production date: circa AD 1761

People, subjects and objects depicted

Components of the work

Interior composed of tortoise shell
Box composed of metal
Surface Of Box composed of gold

Related exhibitions

Identification numbers

Accession number: RTR.M.4
Primary reference Number: 156372
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Monday 29 April 2024 Last processed: Thursday 14 August 2025

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/156372 Accessed: 2025-12-05 16:38:54

Citation for Wikipedia

To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:

{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/156372 |title=Snuff box |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-05 16:38:54|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/api/v1/objects/object-156372

Bootstrap HTML code for reuse

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<div class="text-center">
    <figure class="figure">
        <img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/aa/aa24/RTR_M_4_20_281_29.jpg"
        alt="Snuff box"
        class="img-fluid" />
        <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Snuff box</figcaption>
    </figure>
</div>
    

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