Snuff-Box
Snuff-Box
Object name: Snuff-Box
Date: 1727-1760
Dimensions:
40 x 65 x 45 mm
Medium: Tortoiseshell, gilt, lacquer, silver pique
Object number: C02155
DescriptionOval snuff box. It is made of black to orange-brown tortoiseshell, edged with gilt detail and inlaid with darkened Silver Piquet work on the lid in floral motifs.
Snuff boxes were used for holding snuff, a scented powdered tobacco, in the 17th and 18th centuries. It was inhaled through the nose and was thought to have medicinal properties. The making of snuff boxes was a lucrative business. They could range in design from very simple to extremely ornate. Britain.
Snuff boxes were used for holding snuff, a scented powdered tobacco, in the 17th and 18th centuries. It was inhaled through the nose and was thought to have medicinal properties. The making of snuff boxes was a lucrative business. They could range in design from very simple to extremely ornate. Britain.