Box
Unknown Artist
1806–7
Medium
Gold and glass
Dimensions
1 1/2 × 2 7/8 × 2 1/8 in. (3.8 × 7.3 × 5.4 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Gold and Platinum
Culture
Austrian, Vienna
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Kate Read Blacque, in memory of her husband, Valentine Alexander Blacque, 1937
Accession Number
38.50.5
Art Historical Context
This exquisite little box, crafted in Vienna around 1806–7, exemplifies the refined goldsmithing traditions of the Austrian Empire during theonic era. Measuring just 1 1/2 × 2 7/8 × 2 1/8, it was likely designed as a luxury personal accessory—perhaps a snuffbox or etui for holding small valuables—reflecting the era's taste for intimate, portable elegance amid political upheaval and imperial grandeur. Made of gold with delicate glass elements, the box highlights advanced metalworking techniques such as chasing, engraving, or repoussé, common in Viennese workshops. The integration of glass sugg...