Snuffboxes

Created in XVIII – XIX centuries from the collection of Fabergé Museum in Saint-Petersburg

Venus and Cupid snuffbox (1886/1895) by M. PerkhinFabergé Museum

The collection of snuffboxes created in XVIII – XIX centuries, long before the rise of Carl Faberge`s firm reveals  many facets of the history of St.Petersburg goldsmith` craft. Carl Faberge himself highly valued his predecessors, and saw a source of inspiration in their works. He was well acquainted with their work, as he had been helping the keepers of the Diamond room of the Winter Palace for 15 years (1866-1881).

Snuffbox with a monogram and portrait of Nicholas II (1895/1898) by M. PerkhinFabergé Museum

Faberge made repairs and restorations of items from the Imperial Treasury and was able to study the artistic solutions and practices of the first St. Petersburg masters. 

Faberge made repairs and restorations of items from the Imperial Treasury and was able to study the artistic solutions and practices of the first St. Petersburg masters.

Such famous artists as Carl Leberecht, Augustin Ritt, George Weckler and others worked on the creation of the tobacco boxes with jewellers.

Presentation tobacco box with portrait of the tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich Presentation tobacco box with portrait of the tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich (St.Petersburg, Fabergé Museum) by Craftsman: A. Spiegel6, miniature painter: W. HauFabergé Museum

Presentation tobacco box with portrait of the tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich, future Emperor Alexander II was given by the heir tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich to the governor of Caucasus prince M.S. Votontsov in 1850. The presentation snuffbox is made of gold and decorated with a miniature  portrait of the Tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich (the future Emperor Alexander II). This miniature was created by artist Vladimir Gau with watercolour on ivory...

Presentation tobacco box with portrait of the tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich Presentation tobacco box with portrait of the tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich opened view (St.Petersburg, Fabergé Museum)Fabergé Museum

... this information is engraved inside the snuffbox.

Snuffbox with a Florentine mosaic insert Snuffbox with a Florentine mosaic insert (St.Petersburg, Fabergé Museum) by C. BarbéFabergé Museum

This rectangular snuffbox is made of tortoise shell (a rare and unusual basis for jewellery), decorated with gold and insects made of semiprecious stones (Florentine mosaic technique).

Snuffbox with a Florentine mosaic insert Snuffbox with a Florentine mosaic insert (St.Petersburg, Fabergé Museum)Fabergé Museum

The Florentine mosaic is a mosaic of semi-precious stones of different shapes, joined in a pattern with indistinguishable borders between them.

Tobacco box with micromosaics miniature Tobacco box with micromosaics miniature (St.Petersburg, Fabergé Museum)Fabergé Museum

This Golden snuffbox is decorated with a miniature in the Roman micro mosaics technique. The sides are engraved with architectural elements, plant ornaments shaped after curls and flowers.

Tobacco box with micromosaics miniature Tobacco box with micromosaics miniature (St.Petersburg, Fabergé Museum) by I. HeideFabergé Museum

The landscape is created with many pieces of coloured glass almost invisible to the human eye. The miniature depicts a peasant with a girl on a river bank and a man watching them from a tavern.

Credits: Story

Fabergé Museum's Team

See more snuffboxes at
www.fabergemuseum.ru

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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