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Snuff box: M.76 & A-1961

An image of Snuff box

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Object information

Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Box maker: ?G

Entities

Categories

Description

Gold and glass; circular gold box with blue glass base and lid set with a medal

Gold and glass; circular with straight sides and a pull-off lid. The lid and recessed base of the box are of dark blue glass; the sides and mounts are of gold. Set in the centre of the lid is a gold (or gilt metal) medal with convex glass over the upper surface and flat glass covering the underside. Round the edges of the lid and base and round the medal are gold borders chased with flowers and leaves on a striated ground. Round the join are narrow bands of bright-cut engraving. The interior walls of the box are lined with gold. The medal depicts on the obverse a bust facing the left of Madame Elisabeth of France with the legend above and to the sides 'ELISABETH DE FRANCE', signed underneath 'LOOS'. The reverse - visible on the inside of the lid - depicts an eagle attacking a dove which is chained to a rock on which are the words 'LE / 10 MAI / 1794'; round the edge is the legend 'CES LOUPS SANS S'EMOUVOIR REGARDENT LES FAULCONS DU SANG DE LA COLUMBE ARROSER LE VALLONS'.

Notes

History note: Not known before testator

Legal notes

L.C.G. Clarke Bequest, 1960

Measurements and weight

Diameter: 6.7 cm
Height: 2.8 cm

Place(s) associated

  • Paris ⪼ France

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1960-12-13) by Clarke, Louis Colville Gray

Dating

18th Century, Late
1787 - 1788

Note

The marks on the box predate the medal, so either the medal is a later addition or the box was made from gold which was already hallmarked.

School or Style

French

Components of the work

Box composed of gold
Base composed of glass
Lid composed of glass

Inscription or legends present

Inscription present: ?G with a fleur-de-lis between and a crown above

  • Location: On the bezel
  • Method of creation: Struck
  • Type: Maker's mark

Inscription present: L crowned

  • Location: On the bezel
  • Method of creation: Struck
  • Type: Warden's mark

Inscription present: two interlaced 'L's

  • Location: On the bezel
  • Method of creation: Struck
  • Type: Charge mark

Inscription present: the head of a parrot

  • Location: On the bezel
  • Method of creation: Struck
  • Type: Discharge mark
  • Text: 194 L/Mo / YY/G?
  • Location: On the inside wall of the box
  • Method of creation: Scratched
  • Type: Retailer's mark

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: M.76 & A-1961
Primary reference Number: 150686
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Thursday 20 September 2012 Last processed: Friday 8 December 2023

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 (2024) "Snuff box" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/150686 Accessed: 2024-12-23 07:24:28

Citation for Wikipedia

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

{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/150686 |title=Snuff box |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-12-23 07:24:28|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

API call for this record

To call these data via our API (remember this needs to be authenticated) you can use this code snippet:

https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/api/v1/objects/object-150686

Bootstrap HTML code for reuse

To use this as a simple code embed, copy this string:

<div class="text-center">
    <figure class="figure">
        <img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/aa/aa24/M_76_1961_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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