Snuffbox 1770 - 1780

Editor: Here we have a gilded object made by Les Frères Toussaint, likely somewhere between 1770 and 1780: a Snuffbox! The Met's catalog says it’s crafted from gold and…is that a miniature landscape I see etched on top? It all feels so…elaborate and tiny! What draws your eye in this piece? Curator: Elaborate *is* the word, isn't it? It's pure Rococo decadence! This isn't just a box, it's a statement. And look closer - that's not just *any* landscape, but a genre scene. We see people, engaged in…what *are* they doing? Maybe hunting? More likely, courting and picnicking were trendy pastimes to flaunt, so it's meant to depict upper class leisure. Editor: Oh, right! It definitely has that “gilded age” vibe…only literally gilded, of course. So it's like they're turning everyday life into art, then turning that art into something functional… almost tongue-in-cheek? Curator: Precisely! Think of it like this: In a time of immense social disparity, the elite flaunted frivolous scenes from daily life as symbols of refinement and excess. How deliciously ironic that they would be contained within a container used for powdered tobacco – something meant to stimulate the senses! It shows just how much they valued appearing carefree. What do *you* make of all that detail, all those tiny lines etched in? Editor: The craftsmanship is stunning! To create such detail on such a small scale is incredible, it speaks to how valued the art was in that moment. I hadn’t really considered snuffboxes as a canvas, a showcase, beyond just utility. Curator: It makes you wonder what other seemingly mundane objects are whispering stories, doesn’t it? Perhaps everything’s a tiny stage, waiting for its moment.