Snuffbox with genre scene
1761–62
Medium
Gold, enamel
Dimensions
2 7/8 × 2 1/8 in. (7.3 × 5.4 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Gold and Platinum|Miniatures
Culture
French, Paris
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.190.1166
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate gold snuffbox, crafted by Parisian goldsmith Jean-Lam Payen between 1761 and 1762, captures the elegance of mid-18th-century French luxury Measuring just 2⅞ × 2⅛ inches, it features a vibrant enamel genre scene depicting men and women in a convivial drinking moment—a popular motif celebrating everyday pleasures amid the Rococo era's playful spirit. Payen's expertise in metalwork and miniature enamel painting shines here, with the gold body serving as a frame for the translucent, painted enamel lid. These snuffboxes were essential accessories for the aristocracy, who used powdere...