Not currently on display at the V&A

Case for a toothpick

Toothpick Case
ca. 1780 - ca. 1800 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
British (made)

The lid of this oblong hinged case for a toothpick is adorned with the scene of a landscape with a tree-lined river crossed by a bridge; a figure is walking over the bridge. A mirror is set on the inside of the lid. A silver toothpick is placed inside the box. The style of the piece suggests it is late eighteenth-century English.



Object details

Categories
Sculpture
Containers
Object type
Toothpick case
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Case
  • Toothpick
TitleCase for a toothpick (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Ivory with gilt mounts with mirror and velvet lining. Lid with gold rim.
Ivory
Gold
Brief description
Toothpick case, ivory with gilt mounts with mirror and velvet lining, British or perhaps French, ca. 1780-1800
Physical description
Toothpick case, oblong and rounded, lined with velvet; in the lid is a scene in the form of a pierced ivory relief against a blue background of a landscape with a tree-lined river crossed by a bridge. A figure is walking over the bridge. A mirror is set on the underside of the lid, and a silver toothpick placed inside the box.
Dimensions
  • Height: 1cm
  • Width: 9cm
  • Depth: 3cm
Object history
Bequeathed by Miss M.A. Bacon in 1875.
Subjects depicted
Landscape
River
Trees
House
Bridge
Figure
Summary
The lid of this oblong hinged case for a toothpick is adorned with the scene of a landscape with a tree-lined river crossed by a bridge; a figure is walking over the bridge. A mirror is set on the inside of the lid. A silver toothpick is placed inside the box. The style of the piece suggests it is late eighteenth-century English.

Bibliographic references
  • List of Objects in the Art Division, South Kensington, Acquired During the Year 1875, Arranged According to the Dates of Acquisition. London: Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., p. 19
  • Trusted, Marjorie, Baroque & Later Ivories, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2013, cat. no. 151
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
271A-1875

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Record createdSeptember 26, 2008
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O167817/case-for-a-toothpick-toothpick-case-unknown/
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