Painted image on snuff box lid ,who are they supposed to be?

ya , ya...put the tin down,,,

 

I can see an animal there too. It looks more like a dog to me, which would also be consistent with a herdsman, but you're right, it appears there are horns, so a goat, maybe two. Goats can symbolize lust as well as Satan.

There are none of the usual indicators of St. Jerome here. He does not have to have all three but should at least have a halo, or be accompanied by a lion (this is the one that really distinguishes him), or be in the act of writing. As I think you are conceding, the story of Jerome in the desert is not about temptation, just solitude, privation & illness.

I have to really squint & wish to see any of this. I can see it as a pavilion type of tent, with a round top, the door flap open, instead of a cave mouth.

I see your vulture but it is pretty sketchy & looks to me that it is green in places. I see it as either more rocks or vegetation in the distance.

The scene is slightly risque, quite consistent with many gentlemen's accoutrements. Can I tempt you to some snuff? They can get steamier.

 

Hi moreotherstuff

I am happy you have the same book, great book,every time I go into a secondhand book shop I see 2-3 copies of the same book.

lets go this way how do like this round enamel top box?

 

The depth & shape lead me to think it is for powder or some other use on a lady's vanity table.

 

Usually the images on snuff boxes (or similar) can be traced to other sources, frequently engravings. Sometimes they can be a pastiche from several sources (which I think may be true of your Venus and Cupid box - edit: I see you've found a Boucher image as a source for that).

Looking through catalogs, I am always impressed by the ability of the researchers to come up with images from sources that seem very esoteric to me.

I hope you will show more of your collection.

I have a tin of snuff I picked up at a yard sale:






You'll find these tins (empty) on eBay, sometimes listed as antique. They do look old timey, but how old can they be with a barcode on the label:


Sadly, the boxes that appeal to me are consistently out of my price range.

 

Depends on whether or not the scene is religious. It involves bare breasts, so some will always see it as erotic. I'm confident that notion was not lost on the painter.

Box images could be downright pornographic. There's a story of a man who had a snuff box, the lid set with an agate. When held close to a flame, the color of the agate would fade away to reveal a very explicit scene. The trick was a very thin slice of agate over the painted scene with a layer of wax sandwiched between - opaque when cold, transparent when warm.

There's also a story of the Chinese producing fake silver boxes for export in the 18th and 19th C. The material they were using as a silver substitute was platinum, considered worthless at the time.

 

Was searching for snuff boxes with enamel lids & religious scenes & came across this. Wow!



https://www.pushkinantiques.com/obj...mp-enamel-snuff-box-remond-lamy-amp-cie-c1800

Think the choice of this painting is actually covert Masonic signaling. Flanking it with statues of Athena removes it somewhat from a religious context.

 

Eye candy (takes some time to load):

https://www.christies.com/features/...-including-pugs-dragons-and-lions-6863-1.aspx

See #7 & description. #10 looks to be same maker as one above.

 

There were some amazing boxes of all kinds made especially in the 18th century,as I said the gold boxes in the Wallace collection were spectacular.
I noticed on my box may be St Jerome, what we thought was a cave on the left side ,are two peacocks with their tales up, There is a glue stain also over the top of them as well.
not sure If they are supposed to mean anything.

Regards Giotto.

 

Hi Moreotherstuff
Thanks for your interest ,Your tin of snuff was fun, have you had a sniff?
what was it like?
I agree with you that good boxes are not cheap,there is an old saying buy the best you can afford, my problem is I buy the best I cannot afford (with in reason)
I will post some of my boxes from time to time,for members interest,

They are not all expensive but they may be interesting to see.

Regards Giotto

 

sorry left post before finished loading images.





Regards Giotto

 

SOOoo PRETTY !!! ... Joy ...

 

Certainly makes mincemeat of what I wrote, but that's life. It was a fanciful interpretation. Never call me as an eyewitness. (I stand by the vulture.)

In Christianity, peacocks can be a symbol of the Resurrection. Otherwise, they can be a symbol of vanity. So it can go either way... good or bad. Is that glue that has spilled out over the picture?

No, I have never tried snuff myself - not even a pinch from that tin.

You have some very nice boxes.

 

Wow, wow, WOW! Drooling there...

 

Peacocks are Juno/Hera's bird, but this is not a conventional depiction of that regal goddess.

 

Many thanks for your reply.
To me if you are correct on your interpretation of the peacocks for resurrection,
it is leading me more down the Lazurus path.

As for the glue, that is my fault ,the lid was loose when I purchased the box in France ,dismantled it put new card in behind ivory ,old card had deteriorated,
after holding it tight until the glue dried ,to my shock some glue had seeped through the edge,now part of the history of the box.
Regards Giotto

 

Jacob is dreaming and that's an angel.