Artwork Page for Vanity Case (Nécessaire)

Details / Information for Vanity Case (Nécessaire)

Vanity Case (Nécessaire)

c. 1760

England, mid 18th century

Medium
gold, agate, interior fitted with gold-mounted implements, mirror
Credit Line
Gift of Howard F. Stirn 2009.69
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

This small box contains gold-mounted writing instruments, including three ink wells, a fountain pen, a clasp knife, and tweezers.

Description

Luxurious personal objects were an essential part of a privileged wardrobe during the 1700s and early 1800s, emphasizing their owner’s refinement and wealth. Jewelry, miniatures, and nécessaires—small expensive sets designed to hold grooming, writing, and sewing tools—were often given as intimate gifts, intended to be seen and admired. Their glittering surfaces, however, disguised a system based on the labor and suffering of enslaved or indentured people, whether in gold and stone mines or shops where these goods were made.
A gold and agate vanity case features ornate scrollwork framing panels of blue and gray banded agate. On the lid, a curved gold handle with a central fan motif sits between decorative scroll borders. Detailed gold patterns cover the corners and edges, and a small, clear gemstone is set into the central latch. The sides feature similar gold scrollwork overlays against the dark, striped stone surface.

Vanity Case (Nécessaire)

c. 1760

England, mid 18th century

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork