Box

1781–82
Not on view
Beginning in the 1750s French goldsmiths introduced subtle colors into their gold boxes by using various types of gold. This box as well as the one for rouge and patches on display nearby has applied ornament in greenish and reddish gold, achieved by the addition of metal oxides to the alloy. This bonbonnière, used for sweets, is decorated with incised and applied dots that play on the shape of the circular box. The finely incised lines were created by turning the box against a cutting edge while it was mounted on a lathe.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Box
  • Maker: François-Nicolas Chevance (apprenticed 1766, master 1780, active 1793)
  • Date: 1781–82
  • Culture: French, Paris
  • Medium: Gold
  • Dimensions: 3 3/8 × 2 3/8 in. (8.6 × 6 cm)
  • Classification: Metalwork-Gold and Platinum
  • Credit Line: Bequest of Catherine D. Wentworth, 1948
  • Object Number: 48.187.476a, b
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

More Artwork

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.