Ask the Scholar

Page 1 of 2
I can add historical knowledge about this page.

Page image

Page 1

Document source description

In 1839, seven years after the Russian Empire had absorbed the Kingdom of Poland, Nicholas I presented this box to I. C. Singels, a hydraulic engineer for the Bank of Poland. On the face of the box, an urn containing a splendid floral bouquet is rendered in quatre-couleur gold over a sablé or finely stippled background. These motifs are framed by exuberant Rococo scrolls partially decorated with black champlevé enamel. The rest of the box face is covered with floral designs in blue champlevé enamel. The reverse side, in contrast, is severely neoclassical style with borders of laurel leaves and corners decorated with fleur de lys. As demonstrated by this box, goldsmiths in the late 18th and early 19th centuries tended to exploit their extraordinary technical mastery of quatre-couleur gold and to assign enameling a secondary role.

Page data

Page
1
Source index
0
Type
photo
Media ID
214a8a5cecfddb77
Size
unknown

Document data

ID
82288
Core
obj
Type
object
DTO data
{
    "id": "82288",
    "sourceUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/44.967",
    "contentType": "object",
    "stage": "normalized",
    "title": "Presentation Box",
    "description": "In 1839, seven years after the Russian Empire had absorbed the Kingdom of Poland, Nicholas I presented this box to I. C. Singels, a hydraulic engineer for the Bank of Poland. On the face of the box, an urn containing a splendid floral bouquet is rendered in quatre-couleur gold over a sablé or finely stippled background. These motifs are framed by exuberant Rococo scrolls partially decorated with black champlevé enamel.  The rest of the box face is covered with floral designs in blue champlevé enamel. The reverse side, in contrast, is severely neoclassical style with borders of laurel leaves and corners decorated with fleur de lys. As demonstrated by this box, goldsmiths in the late 18th and early 19th centuries tended to exploit their extraordinary technical mastery of quatre-couleur gold and to assign enameling a secondary role.",
    "provenance": "Sotheby's Sale, Geneva, July 11, 1989; purchased by Jean M. Riddell, Washington, D.C., 1989 [Leo Kaplan, New York, as agent]; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 2010.",
    "date": "ca. 1839",
    "citationUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/44.967",
    "rightsUri": "CC0",
    "language": "en",
    "genreSpecific": [
        "boxes (containers)"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PS1_44.967_Bot_DD_T14.jpg",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PS1_44.967_Bot_DD_T14.jpg",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PS1_44.967_Bot_DD_T14.jpg",
    "imageCount": 2,
    "pageCount": 2,
    "source": "import"
}

Context sent to Scholar

Document identity
{
    "localId": "82288",
    "label": "Presentation Box",
    "core": "obj",
    "dtoType": "object",
    "citationUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/44.967"
}
Document source metadata
{
    "id": "82288",
    "sourceUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/44.967",
    "contentType": "object",
    "stage": "normalized",
    "title": "Presentation Box",
    "description": "In 1839, seven years after the Russian Empire had absorbed the Kingdom of Poland, Nicholas I presented this box to I. C. Singels, a hydraulic engineer for the Bank of Poland. On the face of the box, an urn containing a splendid floral bouquet is rendered in quatre-couleur gold over a sablé or finely stippled background. These motifs are framed by exuberant Rococo scrolls partially decorated with black champlevé enamel.  The rest of the box face is covered with floral designs in blue champlevé enamel. The reverse side, in contrast, is severely neoclassical style with borders of laurel leaves and corners decorated with fleur de lys. As demonstrated by this box, goldsmiths in the late 18th and early 19th centuries tended to exploit their extraordinary technical mastery of quatre-couleur gold and to assign enameling a secondary role.",
    "provenance": "Sotheby's Sale, Geneva, July 11, 1989; purchased by Jean M. Riddell, Washington, D.C., 1989 [Leo Kaplan, New York, as agent]; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 2010.",
    "date": "ca. 1839",
    "citationUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/44.967",
    "rightsUri": "CC0",
    "language": "en",
    "genreSpecific": [
        "boxes (containers)"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PS1_44.967_Bot_DD_T14.jpg",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PS1_44.967_Bot_DD_T14.jpg",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PS1_44.967_Bot_DD_T14.jpg",
    "imageCount": 2,
    "pageCount": 2,
    "source": "import"
}
Document source extras
{
    "inscriptions": [
        "[Mark] Inside box in Latin letters; Keibel; [Marks] On rim: 776",
        "French crab import mark; [Inscription] Inside lid in French: Donnée en cadeau par / Sa Majesté l'Empereur / de toutes les Russies / Nicolas I. à Monsieur / I.C. Singels",
        "Ingénieur hydraulique / de la Banque de Pologne / 1839."
    ],
    "med": "quatre-couleur gold, champlevé enamel",
    "creator_ids": [
        "3745"
    ],
    "collection_ids": [
        "EAN"
    ],
    "exhibition_ids": []
}
Page context
{
    "seq": 1,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
    "url": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/raw/PS1_44.967_Top_DD_T14.jpg",
    "mediaId": "214a8a5cecfddb77"
}