Current Location: In storage
Titles
Box in the form of a Snail crawling on a leaf
Maker(s)
Production:
Hannong factory
(Possibly)
Entities
Categories
Description
Tin-glazed earthenware painted in enamels
Buff earthenware, moulded in two parts, tin-glazed, and painted in turquoise, green, pink, pale purple, pale brown, greyish brown, grey, and black enamels. The underside of the base has a circular ventilation hole at one end. The snail rests on an almond-shaped green base with a wavy edge, and is feeding on a spray of turquoise leaves on a twig. Its foot is coloured pale pink with tiny strokes of grey overall, and the shell is pale brown with greyish brown horizontal and slanting vertical lines. The circular domed cover, which forms the top of the snail's shell, has a knob in the shape of a purple convolvulus (?) flower on a stem with two leaves. The shell area is pale pink with dark grey radiating bands and slanting vertical lines, and a few black ones at intervals. The snail's upper tentacles have been broken off, but its lower ones remain.
Notes
History note: E. Wolter, 15,Sophien-strasse, Baden-Baden, from who purchased on 16 September 1899, by Dr J.W./L. laisher, FRS, Trinity College, Cambridge
Legal notes
Dr J. W. L. Glaisher Bequest
Measurements and weight
Height: 7.9 cm
Acquisition and important dates
Method of acquisition: Bequeathed
(1928-12-07)
by
Glaisher, J. W. L., Dr
Dating
18th Century, third quarter
Circa
1760
-
1765
Note
This snail is an example of the fashion for zoomorphic boxes, tureens, and other tableware which was a characteristic of the Rococo style in ceramics..It is unmarked, but may have been made in the Hannong factory at Strasbourg, which produced a great variety of tableware in the form of animals, fruit and vegetables.
School or Style
Rococo
Components of the work
Surface
composed of
tin-glaze
( except for the outer edge of the underside of base)
Decoration
composed of
enamels
( turquoise, green, pink, pale purple, pale brown, greyish brown, grey, and black (a few strokes))
Base
Length 12.3 cm
Width 6.8 cm
Body And Cover
Materials used in production
buff where visible
Earthenware
References and bibliographic entries
Identification numbers
Accession number: C.2363 & A-1928
Primary reference Number: 73405
Old object number: 1168
Stable URI
Audit data
Created: Saturday 6 August 2011
Updated: Tuesday 5 August 2025
Last processed: Tuesday 26 August 2025
Associated departments & institutions
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Applied Arts
