gold & treasury - introduction

The gold and treasury galleries of the Gilbert Collection contain a dazzling display of rarities. Although many of the items conform to a recognisable shape and seem to have had a practical use, they were often made purely for display and, as a result, remain in pristine condition. Some objects in the collection were specially made for a treasury or display room; a 16th century jewelled mother of pearl partridge and a nef from Regensburg were deliberately made as confections, or as a way of displaying natural curiosities of exceptional beauty or rarity. While other items of a supposedly practical nature are no less decorative; two pairs of massive silver gates are testimony to the power of the Russian Orthodox Church under the Tsars, while a pair of howdahs (chairs for riding elephants) evoke equally strong impressions of British Imperial rule in India. While most of the collection dates from the 16th to the 19th centuries, a few items are extraordinary early survivors, notably, an Anatolian gold ewer from the third millennium BC. A distinctive feature of the collection is its focus on fine craftsmanship and it is much richer in ornamental objects than in utilitarian wares. The information about objects in the gold & treasury section is drawn largely from The Gilbert Collection of Gold and Silver by Timothy B Schroder, with contributions by Philippa Glanville, Janice Leoshko and Alla Theodora Hall. It is published by Los Angeles County Museum of Art and distributed in the UK by Thames and Hudson Ltd., ISBN 0-500-01452-3. Copyright ©1988 by Museum Associates, Los Angeles County Museum of Art. All rights reserved. The Gilbert Collection of Gold and Silver is usually available from the Gilbert Collection shop at Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA. back to the collection

Italian mosaics - introduction

The Gilbert Collection celebrates two types of Italian mosaic; pietre dure (literally hard stones) developed in Renaissance Florence and enamel micromosaics made in Rome.

Pietre Dure
A form of mosaic where brilliant pictures are created from cut and polished marbles and minerals, pietre dure became much sought after all over Europe. By skilfully selecting, cutting and polishing many rare and naturally beautiful types of minerals and semi-precious stones, such as agate, amethyst, jasper and lapis lazuli, these works are appealing as much for their materials as for their design.

Visitors to Italy would often purchase decorative pietre dure panels to be incorporated into furniture such as cabinets or tables on their return home. As well as being used to embellish large objects and interiors, pietre dure was also applied to smaller items like snuff boxes and jewellery. The Gilbert Collection has the full range of designs that characterised the art - bird and floral motifs, still-life, landscapes and genre scenes.

Micromosaics
Originally chosen to decorate the inside of St Peter's Rome because of the hard wearing nature of their materials, micromosaics were later used to embellish many luxury items as well. By 1810, there were 20 private workshops in Rome producing objects decorated with micromosaics and, like pietre dure, these were eagerly purchased by wealthy tourists.

Micromosaics are made from thousands of tiny coloured enamel rods (called tesserae), painstakingly assembled and secured with a slow drying adhesive - some contain over 5,000 of these tesserae per square inch. The final stages of the process involved waxing and polishing to create the seamless surface characteristic of the art. The Gilbert Collection's 200 micromosaics form an encyclopaedic display of this rare and curious art form, from the 16th to the 20th centuries. It includes vases, snuffboxes and tables, as well as copies of Old Master paintings and panoramic views of Rome.

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The information about pietre dure is drawn largely from The Gilbert Collection Hardstones by Anna Maria Massinelli, with contributions by Jeanette Hanisee Gabriel. It is published by Philip Wilson Publishers Ltd., London, ISBN 0-85667-510-5. Copyright ©2000 the Gilbert Collection. All rights reserved.

The information about micromosaics is drawn largely from The Gilbert Collection Micromosaics by Jeanette Hanisee Gabriel, with contributions by Anna Maria Massinelli, Judy Rudoe and Massimo Alfieri. As above, it is published by Philip Wilson Publishers Ltd., London, ISBN 0-85667-5113. Copyright ©2000 the Gilbert Collection. All rights reserved.

gold boxes - introduction

he Gilbert Collection contains over 200 gold boxes, most of which were made as containers for snuff, a form of powdered and scented tobacco became a craze throughout 18th-century Europe. As snuff-taking* developed into an elaborate social ritual it gave rise to an entirely new art form of superbly made and very expensive boxes that reflected the luxurious tastes of the aristocracy. Gold snuff boxes were also used as important diplomatic gifts and were often presented as rewards by grateful monarchs.

Goldsmiths, stone polishers, enamel painters and miniaturists collaborated to create snuffboxes, each one a masterpiece of sumptuous decoration and design.

The Gilbert Collection includes boxes made in Paris, Berlin, London, Dresden and Vienna, often for kings and emperors such as Louis XV and Napoleon. The stars of this stunning collection are the brilliantly jewelled boxes made for Frederick the Great of Prussia, whose energy and ambition are marked by six overwhelming and richly worked confections of gold, diamonds and hardstones.

* A pinch of snuff was usually sprinkled on the back of the hand and then inhaled - it was not intended to be smoked.

Gold Box Program

• Residents must reside at the property listed on the entry ballot. If the property is occupied by tenants, the tenant must fill out the ballot. Absentee landlords are not eligible.
• No more than one entry ballot is permitted per eligible property per calendar year (January – December).
• Once your ballot has been approved, the property at which you reside will be eligible to participate.
• By submitting a ballot, the household is agreeing to the collection and sorting of any waste including but not limited to, blue boxes, green carts, and garbage being placed at the curb for collection.
• Six (6) properties will be randomly selected each month to be audited by the City.
• Your curbside waste will be collected by City of Hamilton staff without notice to you. The waste will be sorted and weighed in order to determine the amount of household waste you currently divert from landfill.
• To be declared a winner, eligible properties must meet or exceed the community’s target diversion rate of 65%.
• The Grand Prize goes to the household that diverts the most waste out of the randomly selected properties each month.
• Runner Up prizes will be given to households each month who meet or exceed the community’s target of 65% waste diversion from landfill but do not exceed the diversion rate of the Grand Prize winner.
• If two or more properties are tied for the Grand Prize, a draw will take place to determine one winner.
• Winning households will be eligible for an audit and prize no more than once per calendar year (January – December).
• City of Hamilton employees, contractors, and their families are not permitted to enter.
• Must be 18 years or older to fill out a ballot.
• All audited households will receive a copy of the audit summary for their property.

Recognize

• Each month, one winning household will be presented with a cheque for $140 to illustrate the savings that can be realized by diverting waste from landfill by recycling and composting.
• Winning households will be recognized in local media
• Winning households will be recognized before City Council on an annual basis.
• All audited households that meet or exceed the community target of 65% waste diversion from landfill will be given ‘gold’ blue boxes to use each week for blue box collection.

Other Boxes

Tuxedo, Morning suit, Putty & Heart shaped boxes, Perspex hearts and a pink chest are used to hold a filling like sugared almonds, chocolate dragees or a lovespoon as a gift for each gentleman or lady guest as appropriate. Please choose from any of the designs shown, or, if you cannot find exactly what you want, let us create something new for you. Please contact Janet for details.

The price includes your choice of these standard fillings:
Premium quality confectioners almonds, Whisky Fudge, Chocolate dragees, Mint imperials, Jellied sweets, Foil covered chocolate "mint crisps", Sugar coated chocolate hearts. Lavender, Pot-pourri, Freeze-dried rose buds. Other fillings extra. Lavender, Pot-pourri, Freeze-dried rose buds. Other fillings extra.

Silver Boxes

These stunning Silver boxes and lantern boxes are used to hold a filling like sugared almonds, chocolate dragees or a lovespoon as a gift for each gentleman or lady guest as appropriate. Please choose from any of the designs shown, or, if you cannot find exactly what you want, let us create something new for you. Please contact Janet for details.

The price includes your choice of these standard fillings:
Premium quality confectioners almonds, Whisky Fudge, Chocolate dragees, Mint imperials, Jellied sweets, Foil covered chocolate "mint crisps", Sugar coated chocolate hearts. Lavender, Pot-pourri, Freeze-dried rose buds. Other fillings extra. Lavender, Pot-pourri, Freeze-dried rose buds. Other fillings extra.

Ivory & White Boxes

These rich Ivory or pure White boxes are used to hold a filling like sugared almonds, chocolate dragees or a lovespoon as a gift for each gentleman or lady guest as appropriate. Please choose from any of the designs shown, or, if you cannot find exactly what you want, let us create something new for you. Please contact Janet for details.

The price includes your choice of these standard fillings:
Premium quality confectioners almonds, Whisky Fudge, Chocolate dragees, Mint imperials, Jellied sweets, Foil covered chocolate "mint crisps", Sugar coated chocolate hearts. Lavender, Pot-pourri, Freeze-dried rose buds. Other fillings extra. Lavender, Pot-pourri, Freeze-dried rose buds. Other fillings extra.