Snuff Box
1870-1880 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Small containers for keeping snuff were often decorative or made as novelties, probably as gifts. Snuff boxes in the form of boots or shoes were made throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, and this one is in the shape of a fashionable Victorian lady’s button boot of the 1860s, detailed with metal studs. The top of the boot is hollowed out to form the container.
Shoes and boots are traditionally associated with good luck. Snuff is a form of ground tobacco which was sniffed through the nose rather than smoked in a pipe. Decorative snuff boxes would be put on the table at social gatherings and passed around.
Shoes and boots are traditionally associated with good luck. Snuff is a form of ground tobacco which was sniffed through the nose rather than smoked in a pipe. Decorative snuff boxes would be put on the table at social gatherings and passed around.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Wood, painted, with brass stringing, brass nails in sole and heel, brass and mother-of-pearl buttons |
| Brief description | Snuff box in the shape of a Victorian button boot, top missing. Mahogany, partly ebonised underside set with piqué and brass to imitate the nailing on the shoe. |
| Physical description | Snuff box in the shape of a Victorian button boot, lid missing. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Credit line | Given by Messrs Harrods Ltd. |
| Object history | Part of the Talbot Hughes collection. See entry for T.1539-1913 |
| Historical context | The style of boot appears to date from the 1860s. Snuff boxes: see entry for T.1539-1913 |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Small containers for keeping snuff were often decorative or made as novelties, probably as gifts. Snuff boxes in the form of boots or shoes were made throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, and this one is in the shape of a fashionable Victorian lady’s button boot of the 1860s, detailed with metal studs. The top of the boot is hollowed out to form the container. Shoes and boots are traditionally associated with good luck. Snuff is a form of ground tobacco which was sniffed through the nose rather than smoked in a pipe. Decorative snuff boxes would be put on the table at social gatherings and passed around. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.1543-1913 |
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| Record created | April 28, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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