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Source Description
This box’s black and white design imitates a rare type of agate patterned with black veins that look like the branches of a tree or aquatic plant. Enamel that simulated agate was popular around 1775–80, evoking an 18th-century French interest in natural curiosities, mineralogy, and botany. Charles Le Bastier himself made at least seven boxes using this motif between 1775 and 1779.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
134851
label
Snuff Box (Tabatière)
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
134851
contentType
object
title
Snuff Box (Tabatière)
description
This box’s black and white design imitates a rare type of agate patterned with black veins that look like the branches of a tree or aquatic plant. Enamel that simulated agate was popular around 1775–80, evoking an 18th-century French interest in natural curiosities, mineralogy, and botany. Charles Le Bastier himself made at least seven boxes using this motif between 1775 and 1779.
date
1777–78
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q80027550
creators
8675
genreSpecific
Enamel
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 2 x 3.4 cm (13/16 x 1 5/16 in.)
cul
France, 18th century
accession
1957.406
Source extras
tec
gold and enamel
tombstone
Snuff Box (Tabatière), 1777–78. Charles Le Bastier (French). Gold and enamel; overall: 2 x 3.4 cm (13/16 x 1 5/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. Edward B. Greene, 1957.406
collection
Decorative Arts
inscriptions
inscription
[Warden's mark for Paris, 1778-1779, inside box on bottom, inside cover, inside on front wall]
inscription
[Discharge mark of Jean-Baptiste Fouache, Paris, 1774-1780, on neck]
inscription
[Engraved inside box on bottom, probably a modern inscription]: "947"
inscription
[Charge mark of Jean-Baptiste Fouache, Paris, 1774-1780, inside box on bottom; inside cover; inside on front wall]
inscription
[Maker's mark of Charles Le Bastier, master goldsmith in 1754, inside box on bottom; inside cover; inside on front wall]
didYouKnow
Not only did the design of a snuff box carry important social and political implications, proper snuff taking etiquette, outlined in 18th-century publications, also communicated status.
creditline
Gift of Mrs. Edward B. Greene
updatedAt
2026-05-29 06:53:32.429000
sourceId
134851
dept
Decorative Art and Design
coll
Decorative Arts
med
gold and enamel
creatorTags
male
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
4d0c4fa7336257e4