THE DISCOVERY
Sparkling like a chocolate with a sparkling wrapping they make a fine show of themselves behind a shop window; in an instant a very happy meeting was born that immediately prompted my curiosity to purchase and later to learn about its history.
It is surprising when a commonly used object becomes an icon.
Over the centuries these incredible and tiny boxes have appeared in the daily lives of kings and servants . Created in gold and precious stones or painted in colored enamels with incredible miniature scenes.
Someone, the most sophisticated, they were enriched with micromosaics.
The people also had their own tobacconists or pill holders, but having scarce economic resources they were created in perishable materials such as papier-mâché or potato pulp.
THE TREASURE IN THE POCKET
A fantastic collection where these objects are present is in England, it is a gift from the philanthropic couple Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert. Of English origin, the spouses have lived much of their life in America, where Sir Arthur made his fortune in real estate.
Rosalinde and Arthur had a great aesthetic sense,this is evident in the choice of precious and particular objects from various eras. The collection is permanently housed at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
SMALL BOX, GREAT STORY
It is said that the term "micromosaic" was coined by Sir Arthur in describing the image on one of his refined snuffboxes.
In classical terminology this type of precious work is called "minor mosaic" or "minute mosaic". The small elegant boxes, they were enriched by the jewelers with the collaboration of mosaic experts. This ancient and innovative technique was born in the Vatican several centuries ago, in the school the artists were prepared to create identical copies of masterpieces painted on material worn by time. Therefore the technique refers to the "major mosaic", but unlike this they were used for the composition of the very thin rods of colored glass.
With the advent of the Grand Tour, the fashion of bringing home a memory from traveling abroad was born, so among the many objects, even snuff boxes and pad holders were further enriched with views of ancient Rome and other capitals.
Over the centuries, the world has known the beauty of these tiny and sought-after objects that have never gone out of fashion, they just changed clothes to adapt to the historical period without ever disappointing expectations.
Currently, some major jewelry brands have produced lines with a sophisticated design, invariably the box of desire peeps out.
A DREAM
The ones I bought during some trips are in embossed silver or with enamel designs. Fascinating for size and features, in a world where technology was the skill of man, these iconic objects have come to light .
In appearance they are adorable, they have exceptional workmanship and fit in the palm of the hand, irresistible boxes to own.
For me it was like taking a step back in time to when I was a child and collecting the "rubber". What a joy to look at my little treasures in the tin box, how many unthinkable shapes and colors.
So I decided to keep some for myself and start my new fantastic collection,but what a pleasant feeling!
