Gilt-metal snuff spoon from an étui, England, c. 1770
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
c. 1770
Luxurious personal objects were an essential part of a privileged wardrobe during the 1700s and early 1800s, emphasizing their owner’s refinement and wealth. Especially popular were étuis , small ornamented cases containing miniature sewing, writing, or grooming implements that hung at a woman’s waist from an ornate clasp, known as a chatelaine .
Despite its glittering surface, this small expensive set disguised a system based on the labor and suffering of enslaved or indentured people, whether in gold and stone mines or the shop where it was made. Cleveland Museum of Art object 1916.313: Chatelaine and Case (Étui), c. 1770. England, 18th century. Gray agate mounted in gilt metal; overall: 18.1 cm (7 1/8 in.). Details are those of this museum object; how far it represents a wider type has not been independently verified.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 1
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
Stored inside this case are grooming and writing instruments such as a clasp knife, scissors, an ivory tablet, a pencil, a threading needle used for lacing corsets, and an ear scoop.
Physical characteristics
- Medium
- gilt metal
- Dimensions
- Research required
- Measurements
- Overall: 18.1 cm (7 1/8 in.)
- Material and technique
- gray agate mounted in gilt metal
Identification
- Date recorded
- c. 1770
- Culture period
- England, 18th century
- Holding institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Museum object number
- 1916.313
Catalogue references
- Catalogue1916.313.e
Research required
- Research required: this record documents one museum specimen; type boundaries, varieties and specialist references have not been verified.