Tobacco box with scenes from life of Jonah
The box is a long octagon. Four episodes from the story of Jonah are combined into one scene on the lid. In the upper left corner Jonah ignores God's order and refuses to go to Nineveh. At the lower left he boards a ship. In the center Jonah dives overboard; the fish close by is about to swallow him. In the foreground at the right Jonah crawls ashore. The inscription reads: De geschiedenisse van Jonas 2 (The history of Jonah 2).
The underside illustrates Jonah preaching among the people of Nineveh in an elaborate architectural setting. It is inscribed: Jonas preekt tot nenive jona 1·2·3 (Jonah preaches to Nineveh, Jonah 1.2.3). The rims are lined and the edges molded.
The front and back of the box's sides are engraved with ten apostles and two evangelists, each in an interior or outdoor scene, and each flanked by his name. On the front side, from left to right, they are: Peeterus (Peter) with a key; Jacobus (James Major) with a traveling staff; Joannes (John) writing with a ship and a lamb; Andreas (Andrew) with a ship and a fish; Philipus (Philip) with a herd of sheep; Tomas (Thomas) with a book and a cross. On the back, from left to right, are: Bartoloz (Bartholomew) with an animal; Mateus (Matthew) writing with an angel; Jacobi (James Minor) with a book; Zimon (Simon) with a bird; Juda (Judas) with a book; and Lucas (Luke) standing. At the short ends, inscribed between two stars is: De 12 apostelen / van christus (The twelve apostles / of Christ).
This box's scheme of illustration is unusually ambitious: see the discussion of it in the text above.
The underside illustrates Jonah preaching among the people of Nineveh in an elaborate architectural setting. It is inscribed: Jonas preekt tot nenive jona 1·2·3 (Jonah preaches to Nineveh, Jonah 1.2.3). The rims are lined and the edges molded.
The front and back of the box's sides are engraved with ten apostles and two evangelists, each in an interior or outdoor scene, and each flanked by his name. On the front side, from left to right, they are: Peeterus (Peter) with a key; Jacobus (James Major) with a traveling staff; Joannes (John) writing with a ship and a lamb; Andreas (Andrew) with a ship and a fish; Philipus (Philip) with a herd of sheep; Tomas (Thomas) with a book and a cross. On the back, from left to right, are: Bartoloz (Bartholomew) with an animal; Mateus (Matthew) writing with an angel; Jacobi (James Minor) with a book; Zimon (Simon) with a bird; Juda (Judas) with a book; and Lucas (Luke) standing. At the short ends, inscribed between two stars is: De 12 apostelen / van christus (The twelve apostles / of Christ).
This box's scheme of illustration is unusually ambitious: see the discussion of it in the text above.
Artwork Details
- Title: Tobacco box with scenes from life of Jonah
- Date: 18th century
- Culture: Dutch
- Medium: Brass, copper, silver
- Dimensions: Overall: 1 1/2 × 6 1/4 × 2 7/16 in. (3.8 × 15.9 × 6.2 cm)
- Classification: Metalwork-Brass
- Credit Line: Gift of C. Gustave Mourraille, in memory of his sister, Miss M. Mathilde Mourraille, 1957
- Object Number: 57.108.17
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
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Johann Heinrich Giese
ca. 1760–65
Dutch
18th century
Dutch
18th century
Jan Jansen Bockeltz
ca. 1605–10
probably Netherlandish
early 17th century
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