Snuffbox with Ulysses discovering Achilles and harbor scenes
Medium
Gold, enamel
Dimensions
Overall: 3 1/4 × 3 3/8 in. (8.3 × 8.6 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Gold and Platinum|Miniatures
Culture
German, Hanau
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.190.1136
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite gold snuffbox, crafted around 1780 in Hanau, Germany—a renowned center for fine metalwork—exemplifies the opulent decorative arts of the late Enlightenment era. Attributed to the Souchay brothers (Les Frères Souchay including Marc-André and Esay), it measures a dainty 3¼ × 3⅜ inches, perfect for slipping into a gentleman's pocket. The lid features a translucent enamel miniature depicting Ulysses discovering Achilles, a dramatic moment from Homer's *Iliad* where the cunning hero unmasks the young warrior disguised among women to evade the Trojan War. Surrounding harbor scenes wit...
About the Artist
F.S., Switzerland|Les Frères Souchay|Marc-André Souchay|Esay Souchay ( |Swiss| | ) · | |1730 |1723 – | |1811 |1791
|Swiss, active Hanau, by 1764|1730–1811|1723–1791