Cleveland Museum of Art

Scissors Case (Etui)

Date

c.1690

Medium

silver

Culture

The Netherlands or France

Department

Decorative Art and Design

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Attached to a belt loop, silver scissor cases were practical fashion accessories. Intricately designed and expensively produced, they demonstrated the wealth of a wearer. Cases like this one were often decorated with motifs of love and given as traditional wedding or engagement gifts. On one side of this case, two putti raise a heart above their heads, on the other they defend it with a pair of crossed spears. The inscription on this scissor box reads “TOVS. OV. RIEN” (all or nothing) on one side and “IE. PERIRAI. PLVSTOS” (I would rather die) on the other.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.