(Hardback)

This book is a precious small volume on precious small boxes. Most of them were used to hold snuff, powdered tobacco, and were meant to be looked and admired from a close-up. These miniature masterpieces were a key accessory for every stylish man and woman in the eighteenth century. They reflect the culture and fashion of the period.

Focusing on 30 highlights from the V&A's superlative Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection, this book explores micromosaic construction, its roots in antiquity, their incredible popularity in the last quarter of the 18th century, and their evolution through the 19th century until the technique virtually vanished in the early 1900s.