Box

1771

Box, 1771. Thomas Heming (British, 1722/23–1801). Silver gilt; overall: 12.4 x 18 x 14.4 cm (4 7/8 x 7 1/16 x 5 11/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1976.17 Produced by King George III’s principal goldsmith, Thomas Heming, this silver gilt box closely resembles those he produced for the Queen of Denmark and the ladies of the British court in the 1760s. Adorning the hinged lid is an unidentified scene along with four scallop shells and acanthus leaves. Similarly, the curvilinear sides are ornamented with an array of swirling flora and serpentine lines. This small box likely held jewelry and may have been accompanied by a mirror, scent bottles, brushes, combs, candlesticks, and small covered bowls on a wealthy woman’s dressing table.