Examining the art of the gold box in 18th- and 19th-century Europe, this work gives voice to distinguished international scholars to explore the contributions made by individual workshops in major European centers of production in the context of contemporary patronage and the international market for such boxes. Consideration is given to the design of gold boxes with reference to the Victoria and Albert Museum’s important collection of design drawings. Leading experts, including senior museum curators, auction house specialists, and independent scholars, explore the ways in which different techniques of gold box decoration—portrait miniatures, gems, enamels, mosaics and hard-stones—were developed. The result is a unique record of the state of knowledge on the European production of gold boxes and of the history of collecting that will appeal to international collectors, scholars, dealers, museum curators and visitors, and all those interested in gold and silver fine art.
