Snuffbox 1766 - 1767

Editor: Here we have a delightful snuffbox, crafted around 1766 or '67, currently residing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It's attributed to Louis-Philippe Demay, featuring intaglio and sculpture, very decorative art... I am immediately struck by how it resembles a miniature stage, telling several stories at once. It’s like a jewelry box, but for tobacco, haha! What stories do you see unfolding here? Curator: Oh, absolutely! It’s a world in miniature, isn't it? The Rococo period adored allegory and miniature everything! These boxes were showpieces. Each scene acts as a tiny window into the elite's diversions, no pun intended. Observe how the scenes are framed by sculptural elements, like miniature figures acting as caryatids. It’s almost theatrical. The lid seems to tell one narrative and the sides other independent scenes. What I'm really interested in knowing is what relationship you think there might be, if any. Editor: That's a fascinating detail about the caryatids, I had missed that, I only know the term from architecture! Now that you mention it, perhaps the figures represent different aspects of love or pleasure, each in its own vignette, all bound by that Rococo embrace of ornamentation and wit... I hadn't thought of love. Are the people in the lid depicting courtship? Curator: Exactly! It could be a romantic encounter, or perhaps it's something more allegorical, perhaps the stages of love itself, the courtship depicted on the lid. And remember, snuff-taking was quite a ritual! These boxes were meant to spark conversation and showcase one’s taste and wit. Editor: This piece definitely embodies "wit", wow. It is beautiful that this box, meant to house tobacco, invites us to contemplate broader themes and spark our own narrative interpretations. Thank you! Curator: Indeed! It's a reminder that even the most everyday objects can be vehicles for artistry and profound contemplation. It leaves a deep impact in my view.