An Unusual Gold Snuff Box, Probably English, circa 1730
Estimate
7,000 - 10,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
An Unusual Gold Snuff Box, Probably English, circa 1730
circular, the lid chased with putti amidst classical ruins, scrolls, rocailles and birds on a sablé ground within a reeded border, the sides, base and interior of the lid engraved with mathematical equations and conversion tables pertaining to measurements and weights for metals and other commodities, within engraved plumy foliage, apparently unmarked
Diameter 2 ¾ in.; 7 cm
Weight 4 oz.; 113.4 g
Iberian Private Collection, Christie's, London, December 8 2011, lot 86;
Where acquired by the present collector.
The engravings on the sides and base of the box present mathematical values and conversions for various metals and other commodities, including ivory and oak, alongside their corresponding ancient metal symbols. These symbols appear to have reached their final form during the 11th and 12th centuries A.D. and were widely used by medieval alchemists and astronomers. The circle was regarded as a symbol of perfection and was therefore associated with gold. Following this principle, the less noble a metal was considered to be, the more elaborate and distorted its circular symbol became. At the time, only seven metals were known, and these were linked to the seven celestial bodies recognised in medieval astronomy: the sun, the moon, and the five known planets. Each metal was therefore associated with a particular celestial body, with gold corresponding to the sun and silver to the moon.
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