Snuffbox
Medium
Gold, enamel, diamonds
Dimensions
Overall: 1 1/2 × 3 3/16 × 2 3/8 in. (3.8 × 8.1 × 6 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Gold and Platinum
Culture
German, Berlin
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 1976
Accession Number
1976.155.3
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite snuffbox, between 1755 and1760 in Berlin, exemplifies the opulent metal of mid-18th Germany. Attributed tosmith Daniel Baudesson and painter Daniel Nikolaus Chowiecki, it features compact form of gold encusted with diamonds and adorned with finely painted enamel scenes. Measuring just 1 1/2 × 3 3/16 × 2 3/8 inches, its diminutive size belies its luxurious craftsmanship, designed as a portable accessory for the aristocracy. The enamel panels, likely Chodowiecki's contribution, depict elegant men and women amid flowers and trees, evokingoco-era pastoral idylls. Chodowiecki, a mas...