Ivoren doos met fiches c. 1725

This ivory box with counters was crafted by Mariaval at an unknown date. The images suggest that it was probably made in the Netherlands. Such boxes were luxury items, and they reveal a great deal about the culture of their owners. Here we see a classical mythological scene of what looks like Vulcan at his forge, overlooked by a coat of arms, and featuring a salamander, emblem of Francis I of France. The combination of these images tells us something about the owner, who saw himself as both cultured and noble, who had perhaps mercantile connections with France. To understand this box more fully, we can research the heraldry, look at sumptuary laws to find out who was allowed to own such things, and study the inventories of wealthy families of the period. The meaning of such an object is highly dependent on its social context.