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A Volkstedt silver-gilt-mounted circular snuff box, circa 1762-64
Sold for £13,800 inc. premium
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A Volkstedt silver-gilt-mounted circular snuff box, circa 1762-64
Footnotes
Literature:
Beaucamp-Markowsky 1988, no. 75;
Exhibited:
Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, c. 1988-2003;
London, Gilbert Collection, Somerset House, 2003-2008;
Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, The Bowes Museum, 2008-2010
The ML monogram probably stands for the founder of the Volkstedt manufactory, Georg Heinrich Macheleid (1723-1801) (see Christoph Fritzsche, 'Wann wurden die Porzellanmanufakturen des 18. Jahrhunderts im Heiligen Römischen Reich Deutscher Nation gegründet?', in Keramos 202 (2008), p. 11). Macheleid, a theologian and arcanist, was granted a charter to establish the factory on 4th October 1762 by the reigning Prince (Fürst) Johann Friedrich von Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, who also became a shareholder in the enterprise. He resigned in 1764 following the death of the prince.
Several letters from Prince Johann Friedrich to the managers of the factory refer to the production of snuff boxes. In one dated 27 November 1762, the prince writes "I would like to return some snuff boxes and take others in exchange which are more pleasing to me". In December of the same year he wrote that he desired an especially finely painted snuff box, and requested the "Honorable Gentleman of the Company" to inform him of the cost (quoted by Beaucamp-Markowsky 1988, p. 147).
