Close-up and Personal: Eighteenth-century gold boxes from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collectio

Fashionable among both men and women, these exquisite and elegant containers were one of the most popular accessories in eighteenth-century Europe. They were often used to hold snuff (a scented preparation of powdered tobacco) or sweetmeats. The most lavish and precious boxes were the choice present of royalty and exemplify court culture and fashion in miniature. Gold boxes combine the best design and making of the period and were carefully chased and cast in precious metal, encrusted with jewels, painted with the finest enamel and set with exotic materials. Paris remained the most important centre and set the taste that makers elsewhere aspired to emulate. Best admired close-up, their intricate decorations also reflect changes in society and constantly followed new styles and fashions.

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www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/whatson/exhibitions/article.html?4885

Source: http://www.culture24.org.uk/se000375?id=EVENT526869