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Lot 56
A Doccia gilt-metal-mounted rectangular snuff box, circa 1750
Amended
5 July 2011, 10:30 BST
London, New Bond StreetSold for £12,600 inc. premium
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A Doccia gilt-metal-mounted rectangular snuff box, circa 1750
The cover and sides moulded in relief in imitation of classical cameos with portrait busts on a gilt-edged black ground, some enclosed by moulded purple cartouches enclosing blue frames, titled on moulded ribbons around the sides and on gilt ribbons on the cover, the cover further embellished with moulded gilt palmettes, tassels and acanthus leaves, the gilt-edged base finely painted with a trophy, the inside cover with a half-length portrait of a lady playing the lute, within a gilt frame edged with scrollwork filled in blue, 7.3cm across
Footnotes
Literature:
Beaucamp-Markowsky 1985, no. 466;
Beaucamp-Markowsky 1988, no. 97;
Exhibited:
Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, 1972-2003;
London, Gilbert Collection, Somerset House, 2003-2008;
Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, The Bowes Museum, 2008-2010
The production of objects of vertu or 'galanterie' was of great importance to Doccia factory. Biancalana shows (2009, p.168) that the factory had a 'Laboratorio degli Argentieri', which was founded in 1744-45. Its principal purpose was creating mounts for boxes and snuff bottles and boxes. By 1758, joining or 'legare' the boxes was still being done in the factory. Later on, mounts were produced in Genova.
The idea of producing boxes with relief portraits in imitation of classical cameos was conceived by Padre Scolopio Don Alberto Papiani, the philosophy teacher to the sons of the owner of the Doccia manuafctory, the Marchese Ginori. The intention was that the snuff boxes would give their owners some instruction in history, as well as being objects of beauty. The moulded decoration of the 'tabbachiere dei Cammei' or snuff boxes with cameo-moulding, would have changed from box to box, but there are three main groups, those with Roman Emperors, Alexander the Great and the subsequent Emperors of Egypt, and the great thinkers and poets of antiquity. This box displays Roman Emperors on the cover, and Ptolemaic Kings on the sides.
The most prolific painter of these boxes was the famous Giusepe Romei, who is first found in the factory records in 1742. Between 1743-49 he was paid for painting at least 37 snuff boxes, and possibly more, many of them with non-specified cameo-moulding (see Biancalana, op.cit. p.134f.). The 'Cammei' were also used for the decoration of Bassorelievi or low-relief moulded plaques. A plaque with highly comparable titled portrait plaques is illustrated by Biancalana, op.cit., p.112.
A closely related box with floral interior from the Collezione Procida Mirabelli di Lauro was sold in these Rooms, 6 July 2010, lot 39.
Saleroom notices
Please note that there is a small incised monogram to the inside of the cover in the bottom right corner of the gold cartouche reading SH.
Additional information
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