Cleveland Museum of Art

Needle Case (Etui à Aiguilles)

Date

1768–69

Medium

painted wood, gold mounts

Culture

France, Paris

Department

Decorative Art and Design

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

The material of cases like these delineated the status of the holder. More expensive materials such as ivory, tortoiseshell, or silver were reserved for wealthier users while more common cases were made of lacquered papier-mâché or wood. This wooden case is decorated with vernis martin , a domestic varnish imitating East Asian true lacquer. The sinuous lines, floral garlands, and putti, personifications of love in the form of winged infants, exemplify typical rococo imagery. In the 1500s these cases were commonly fabricated to hold pins and needles for master tailors, but became more widely produced for women during the 1700s.

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