Box — Turned box and cover, Germany, second half of the seventeenth century
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
second half of the seventeenth century
Box in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (museum number A.17-1942), made in Germany, dated second half of the seventeenth century. The museum's brief description reads: Box, circular, turned ivory, German, ca.
1650-1700. Museum description: Circular box, turned ivory. The lid of the box is elaborately turned to form on the outside a rose with petals in almost complete relief. The underside of the lid has a rosette pattern in lower relief. The side is formed of an openwork interlaced design. The bottom is broken away. Many petals on the lid are chipped. The museum records it as Turned ivory, measuring Height 6.3 cm; Diameter 14.5 cm.
These details come from the museum's own record; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- 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
This circular turned box is worked in a virtuoso fashion; the lid is in the form of a rose; the sides are turned in the form of open basketwork. Turned ivories, worked on a lathe, were produced at the courts of Dresden, Braunschweig and Florence, as well as elsewhere in Europe from the sixteenth century onwards. In addition to highly skilled court artists whjo operated the lathes, rulers sometimes produced turned ivories. Here the artist is unknown. This dextrous openwork turning is unusual, although comparable pieces can be found at Dresden and Braunschweig.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- ivory
- Dimensions
- Height 6.3 cm; Diameter 14.5 cm
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- Turned ivory
- Place recorded
- Germany
Identification
- Museum object name
- Box
- Museum object number
- A.17-1942
- Museum system number
- O349388
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: confirm the wider type, maker and catalogue references against a specialist reference.