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Snuffbox in the form of an armadillo

ca. 1740–50
Not on view
In the first half of the eighteenth century, Saint-Cloud produced a wide range of bagatelles, or trifles, in the form of soft-paste porcelain snuffboxes, pommels, cutlery, and cane handles. They were often decorated with exotic figures and landscapes inspired by Asian motifs. This unusual snuffbox depicts an armadillo. A mammal native to South America, armadillos featured in allegorical representations of America as early as the sixteenth century, (seen for example Adrien Collaert’s depiction of America riding a giant armadillo 59.654.10). More than the anatomical accuracy of a naturalist, this smiling creature reflects the imagination of the porcelain modeler and the consumer’s fascination for the exotic.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Snuffbox in the form of an armadillo
  • Maker: Saint-Cloud factory (French, mid-1690s–1766)
  • Date: ca. 1740–50
  • Culture: French, Saint-Cloud
  • Medium: Soft-paste porcelain with enamel decoration; silver mounts
  • Dimensions: 1 7/8 × 2 5/16 × 1 9/16 in. (4.8 × 5.8 × 4 cm)
  • Classification: Ceramics-Porcelain
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Austin B. Chinn Gift, in honor of Daniëlle Kisluk-Grosheide, 2020
  • Object Number: 2020.138
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

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