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Source Description
In 18th-century France the <em>toilette</em>, an elaborate dressing ceremony practiced by both men and women, became increasingly ritualized and public, creating a demand for matching containers and implements like this soap and sponge box. The box with the lid pierced in floral patterns would have been used to carry the sponge.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
130947
label
Soap Box and Sponge Box Set
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
130947
contentType
object
title
Soap Box and Sponge Box Set
description
In 18th-century France the <em>toilette</em>, an elaborate dressing ceremony practiced by both men and women, became increasingly ritualized and public, creating a demand for matching containers and implements like this soap and sponge box. The box with the lid pierced in floral patterns would have been used to carry the sponge.
date
1769
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q80022137
creators
11883
452495
genreSpecific
Ceramic
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 11.5 x 9.1 cm (4 1/2 x 3 9/16 in.)
cul
France, Sèvres
accession
1953.635
Source extras
tec
soft-paste porcelain with enamel and gilt decoration
tombstone
Soap Box and Sponge Box Set, 1769. Sèvres Porcelain Factory (French, est. 1756), Antoine-Toussaint Cornaille (French, 1735–1812). Soft-paste porcelain with enamel and gilt decoration; overall: 11.5 x 9.1 cm (4 1/2 x 3 9/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund, 1953.635
collection
Decorative Arts
inscriptions
inscription
[Interlaced 'L's below three dots in a line with the date letter 'Q' (1953.635.2)]
inscription
[Painter's mark of Antoine-Toussaint Cornaille(s), in the form of a crochet or quaver]
didYouKnow
The first recorded sale of a <em>boîte d’éponge</em> was to Louis XV in September of 1767.
citations
citation
Guilleme-Brulon, Dorothée. "Les Objets de toilette en porcelaine de Sèvres." <em>L'Estampille </em>154 (February 1983).
page_number
p. 40
creditline
John L. Severance Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 06:46:11.389000
sourceId
130947
dept
Decorative Art and Design
coll
Decorative Arts
med
soft-paste porcelain with enamel and gilt decoration
creatorTags
male
gender unknown
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
89a8a4dea8fda3ca