
26/04/2025
Secrets in the s***fbox.
In the courts of 18th-century Europe, the s***fbox was more than just a fashionable accessory. These ornate boxes held powdered to***co (s***f), sweets, or even toothpicks. But beyond their contents, they carried meaning.
A subtle gesture with a s***fbox at royal gatherings would convey an unspoken code known as the ‘language of the s***fbox.’ This became an elegant form of communication among courtiers, lovers, and diplomats. A flick of the lid or a carefully timed offer could say more than words ever could.
1-5) Swiss Boxes, Jean Georges Raymond, 1780-1810
Image Description:
1) Enamelled gold box set with a miniature surrounded by pearls.
2) Enamelled gold box, set with a miniature of a scenic waterfall and two children fishing.
3) Enamelled gold box set with pearls, and enamelled with a scene of figures against a background of the Bay of Naples
4) Enamelled gold toothpick case, set with three miniatures of women and children.
5) Enamelled gold box set with pearls and enamelled with a scene from Ariosto's Orlando Furioso in which Angelica aids the wounded Medoro.