Watchcase (Boîtier de montre) (Cleveland Museum of Art 1916.348)
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
c. 1640
In the 1630s, the practice of painting with enamel on metal became a means for French miniature painters to achieve a more richly colored, durable product. Previously miniatures were painted with watercolor on vellum, a material made from animal skin.
This case would have originally held a watch, but was later transformed into a simple box through the removal of the watch mechanism and ring. This watch case is richly painted inside and out with miniatures modeled after well-known religiously allegorical works. Cleveland Museum of Art object 1916.348: Watchcase (Boîtier de montre), c. 1640. France. Gold and enamel; diameter: 5.8 cm (2 5/16 in.). Inscribed: [engraved on the rim]: "B8".
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
- 4
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
Inspiration for the box’s miniatures was drawn from works by Peter Paul Rubens’ The Holy Family with Saints John the Baptist and Elizabeth (1615) (back panel) and Nicolas Cochin (interior base).
Physical characteristics
- Materials
- gold and enamel
- Dimensions
- Diameter: 5.8 cm (2 5/16 in.)
- Measurements
- Diameter: 5.8 cm (2 5/16 in.)
- Material and technique
- gold and enamel
Design
- Inscription
- [engraved on the rim]: "B8"
Identification
- Date recorded
- c. 1640
- Culture period
- France
- Holding institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Museum object number
- 1916.348
- Museum classification
- Jewelry
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: this record describes a single museum object; confirm the wider type, maker attribution and specifications against horological references.