Snuffbox

Daniel Gouers [or Govaers], the maker of this snuffbox was one of the leading goldsmiths working in Paris from 1717 until his death in 1736. The lavish use of diamonds, characteristic of his work was enabled by the huge influx of precious gems from Brazil in the 1720s: many of the small objects given to courtiers who assisted Marie Leszcynska on the occasion of her marriage to Louis XV were supplied by Gouers. The monetary value of a snuff box was important, as elaborately jeweled boxes could be given as discreet forms of payment when an outright monetary gift was considered inappropriate.

The composition on the lid centers on a large scallop shell surrounded by fronds set alternately with diamonds and rubies and flanked by mermen holding cornucopias filled with diamonds and rubies. The abstract scrolls, scallop shells and undulating profile of this box may be compared with designs by Juste Aurèle Meissonnier (1695–1750), the leading pioneer designer of the early Rococo period.

Small gold boxes intended to hold snuff, a form of powdered and often scented tobacco, became a focus of an elaborate social ritual and a symbol of extravagance and vanity in eighteenth-century France.

The production and decoration of the box could involve multiple artists and craftsmen: A goldsmith, an engine turner, a chaser, an enameller, a varnisher, and miniature painter could have contributed to the manufacture of a single box. Their form and decoration evolved, reflecting changes in fashion and the development of new techniques.

Snuff was used by women as well as by men. Whereas men carried snuff boxes in a coat or waistcoat pocket, women carried their necessities in a reticule or pochette, a small drawstring bag. The ritual of taking snuff involved balancing the box in one hand, opening its lid, while taking a pinch with the other, thereby establishing the size, shape and weight of the box. The integral hinged lid minimized any spillage and had to fit snugly to keep the contents dry. The absence of apparent solder and the beautifully engineered hinges are evidence of the extraordinary skill of their makers.

The French writer Louis-Sébastien Mercier observed in 1781 that “there are boxes for each season. The one for winter is heavy; that for summer light. There are those who carry this refinement to the extent of changing boxes every day: it is by this distinctive touch that one may recognize the man of taste.”

Daughter of one of the founders of the Weyerhaeuser Timber Company, Catherine D. Wentworth (1865–1948) was an art student and painter who lived in France for over thirty years. She became one of the most important American collectors of eighteenth-century French silver and on her death in 1948 bequeathed part of her significant collection of silver, gold boxes, French furniture and textiles to the Metropolitan Museum.