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| Japanned snuffbox signed by Samuel Raven, c. 1820. 'Crib and Rosa' Privately sold. |
Object Focus: A selection of Regency boxes produced by Samuel Raven in Birmingham immortalising loyal and loving dogs.
Raven produced a variety of miniature portraits on japanned papier mâché boxes; his animal boxes were sometimes copied from well-known paintings, but some may also have been commissioned to depict beloved pets. The box above is taken from an 1817 painting entitled Crib and Rosa by a Barrel attributed to Abraham Cooper (1787-1868).
Rosa and Crib were a pair of a now extinct breed of English bulldogs, and thought to be the finest of their kind at this time, so this was a perfect box for any lover of bulldogs.* Snuffboxes such as these were carried in pockets, thus keeping the image of a well-loved breed or personal pet close at hand.
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| Rosa and Crib by a Barrel, by Samuel Raven, probably after Abraham Cooper. Sold at Christie's in 2006 for £1,440. |
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| Lost dog advert, Saunder's News-Letter, 23 June 1781. 'Tyger' |
The box below belonged to Charles Abbott with the 14th King's Light Dragoons, with Raven writing that this was Abbott's property as he signed his name inside, so the box was likely commissioned. The dog depicted is another bulldog by a barrel and with the same pose as Crib, but rusty coloured so was perhaps Abbott's own bulldog, with Crib was used as a model without photographs to work from. This is further suggested by the addition of a collar with, what looks like, a brass nametag, a personal detail not in the original paintings of Crib.
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| Japanned dog snuffbox by Samuel Raven. National Gallery of Victoria Collection. |
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| Another japanned snuffbox by Samuel Raven. Private Collection. |
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| Lost dog advert, Derby Mercury, 19 June 1740. 'Tray' |
Raven painted several depictions of animals, often including dogs, such as this King Charles Spaniel attributed to him, another British breed.
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| King Charles Spaniel, attributed to Samuel Raven. Sold at Sotheby's. |
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| Found dog advert, Birmingham Journal, 12 April 1834. |
See all Samuel Raven boxes, here.
Notes
* National Purebred Dog website: https://nationalpurebreddogday.com/rosa-and-crib/