Respect and enthusiasm lie at the core of curating prestigious collections, according to Heike Zech, senior curator of the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Originally from Munich, Dr Zech will be in Malta on Wednesday, January 11, to give a talk as part of a satellite of events complementing an ongoing exhibition of snuff boxes organised by Palazzo Falson, Mdina.

A student of art and architectural history, she has always been fascinated with art on the largest and smallest of scales, from decorative arts to architecture, and first worked on precious materials as a museum intern.

“I came to London in 2008 to work for the V&A after seven years with Sotheby’s and have been curating the Gilbert Collection since 2009.

“This requires respect for the objects and the extraordinary achievement of those who made the masterpieces. After all, gold boxes have been described as possibly the most beautiful works ever made by man, and I absolutely agree with that.

“Added to that is respect for those who have continued to treasure these pieces over time, and for everyone who might want to see the pieces today and in the future.”

Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert were both born in London in 1913, as second generation immigrants. They met as teenagers, married as soon as they could and followed in their parents’ footsteps in the textile and fashion industry. They ran a bespoke ball gown workshop even during World War II.

This period consolidated their taste and continued to inform their decisions as collectors from the 1960s onwards. By then, they had moved to Los Angeles and were involved in property development. They focused on works they considered beautiful and appreciated virtuoso craftsmanship alongside precious materials.

Dr Zech points out that already in the early days of the collection, the Gilberts chose a collecting motto: Non nobis, sed omnibus, meaning not for us, but for everyone.

“I believe their motivation was two-fold: on the one hand, they wanted others to be inspired by these works, and they realised this was a unique way to give back to society.”

The collection includes several unusual objects and rare pieces such as a gilded silver Tudor casting bottle that was probably used to sprinkle scented rosewater on hands at the end of a meal, a drinking vessel in the form of a falcon the body of which is made from a coconut shell, and a pair of gilded silver Elizabethan tankards of which only one other pair is known to still exist.

The collection is also home to one of the most renowned international collections of snuff boxes, precious boxes used to hold snuff (powdered tobacco) or small sweets which became a must-have accessory for fashionable men and women in the 18th century.

The exhibition currently hosted by Palazzo Falson brings together 200 of such boxes and related artefacts, sourced from museum, ecclesiastical and never-seen-before private collections. The display charts the history of the snuff box from the most stunning examples to the variety of boxes that were created to hold the once precious powder.

The very best golden snuff boxes could exceed the cost of a town house, even a lavish one

Dr Zech explained that most of the boxes have a tight-fitting lid which makes them perfect as containers for snuff, powdered and often scented tobacco. The lid would have kept the tobacco fragrant and moist.

Snuff-taking was first introduced to Europe in the 17th century and, by the mid-1700s, had become equally fashionable among men and women, regardless of class. Bespoke snuff boxes became fashion accessories. They were so personalised that it is said that a former lover of the famed Giacomo Casanova recognised the masked lothario from his gold box.

Boxes, like those on exhibition at Palazzo Falson or in the Gilbert Collection, were made of precious materials by the most talented craftspeople of the time. The very best golden snuff boxes could exceed the cost of a town house, even a lavish one.

Gold features in most of the boxes, often used in different colours by changing the metals used for the gold alloy ever so slightly to change its colour.

“What is maybe more surprising is the sheer variety of materials which were used alongside gold: from gems to semi-precious stones, to enamel, shells, mother-of-pearl, glass mosaic, rock-crystal to name but a few,” Dr Zech said.

“Because of this diversity and input from different masters, it is somewhat difficult to pin down the time it would have taken from first design to finished article, and this could vary largely depending on the period and centre of production.”

Sometimes, the makers themselves were too ambitious when planning their production. Dr Zech recounted the story of how a Swiss master of the art was enticed to move to Hanau in Germany during the second half of the 18th century with a promise that he would be commissioned to make more than 140 boxes per year, a number that proved impossible to achieve.

Paris was the centre of production and had several prestigious marchand-merciers, entrepreneurs and agents who had an international network to source the rarest and finest materials for their local masters to transform into these intricate masterpieces.

As to their design, the mastermind behind that could vary and details are only forthcoming of a few specimens.

“King Frederick II of Prussia contributed to gold box designs,” Dr Zech said. “Also, the valet of Heinrich von Brühl, Prime Minister of Saxony, had an album which depicted each complete court outfit, including not only clothes, but also accessories such as dress sword, buckles and snuff box. It stands to reason that the design of the box was chosen, if not developed, to be part of the complete outfit, which in turn would have been carefully put together to suit a certain rank, occasion, or season.”

In a highly ritualised 18th century world, a snuffbox could be a means of expressing individuality. It is not known, however, if there was a clear marked difference between those made for men and those made for women. While an advert that appeared in a fashion magazine during the last quarter of the 18th century did make this distinction, Dr Zech said it is hard to say with certainty whether particular boxes were designed with one gender only in mind.

“A distinction by size or decoration is impossible: size depended on how much snuff was required while even decorations in colours and with motifs we would consider feminine today were absolutely appropriate for men at the time.”

Most intriguingly, a snuff box actually saved the life of Frederick the Great when a bullet aimed at him during the battle of Künersdorf jammed in its side and lid, thus avoiding certain death for its owner.

“The box still exists today: it is a small, oval and utterly exquisite gold box with flower decoration in translucent enamel, not necessarily the type of decoration one would expect on a battlefield,” Dr Zech marvelled.

This will be Dr Zech’s first visit to Malta, where, due to her professional focus on early modern to rococo, Valletta and Mdina are high on her list to explore, together with the works of Caravaggio, the various churches, and archaeological structures.

“And then there is the contemporary,” she added, “including Renzo Piano’s work in Valletta.

Dr Zech will be delivering a lecture entitled Snuff Boxes: From Accessories to Objets d’Art at the Cathedral Museum in Mdina on January 11 at 6.30pm. Entrance is free of charge and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The exhibition lecture programme is supported by the Michael Marks Charitable Trust and is organised by Palazzo Falson in collaboration with the Mdina Cathedral Museum, lenders to the exhibition.

The exhibition of snuff boxes runs until February 26 at the Palazzo Falson Historic House Museum in Mdina, from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10am to 4.30pm. Entrance to the exhibition is free. For more information, visit www.palazzofalson.com.