Artwork Page for Gold Box

Details / Information for Gold Box

Gold Box

1728–29
maker

Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier

(French, 1695–1750)
Culture
France
Medium
gold and lapis lazuli
Measurements
Overall: 3 x 8.3 x 5.2 cm (1 3/16 x 3 1/4 x 2 1/16 in.)
Weight: .18kg
Credit Line
Purchase from the John L. Severance Fund, the Dudley P. Allen Fund, by exchange, and the Sundry Art - Miscellaneous Fund 2026.12
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print
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Did You Know?

This is one of the two known objects that bear the maker's mark of Meissonnier.

Description

With its central cartouche, heavy molding, and fluted sides, the design of this box attests to Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier’s interest in architecture. The box is further distinguished by a strong sense of movement, achieved through its dynamic contour, extraordinary level of detail, and the dramatic contrast between gold and lapis lazuli.
Such small boxes, known as snuffboxes, were used to hold scented powdered tobacco that was inhaled through the nostrils. Made of precious materials and highly ornamented, they conveyed the owner’s wealth, fashion awareness, sophistication, and social standing. These personal, collectible items were often presented as luxurious gifts. This box was made for the dowager Queen of Spain, Maria Anna of Neuburg, whose coat of arms – along with that of her late husband, Charles II – features on the cover.
An ornate, rectangular gold box features wavy, curving edges and four deep blue lapis lazuli panels. At the center of the lid, a gold relief depicts two shields topped with a crown, flanked by a winged child and a figure in armor. Intricate vertical patterns of shells and curled leaf shapes decorate the sides, contrasting with the smooth stone panels above.

Gold Box

1728–29

Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier

(French, 1695–1750)
France

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