Snuffbox with grisaille decoration of Cupid and Venus

Carnay employed gold as a structural base, overlaying it with enamel painted in shades of gray to achieve the grisaille effect. This method, common in luxury metalwork, allowed fine detail in the figures while preserving the durability of the metal substrate.

Created circa 1766, the snuffbox belongs to the period when personal tobacco accessories were both functional and decorative. Its provenance prior to modern collection is not documented, but it exemplifies the high‑level craftsmanship of French court artisans of the mid‑eighteenth century.