Snuff Box thumbnail 1
Not on display

Snuff Box

c. 1850 (made)
Place of origin

This snuff box was made in India in the 19th century with interior and exterior decoration made of animal products that were commonly used at the time but modern examples of which are now prohibited.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Elephant tooth, tortoiseshell and white metal. Fashioned using a variety of techniques.
Brief description
Snuff box, elephant tooth exterior, tortoiseshell interior, white metal mounts, India, 19th century
Physical description
A shallow, rectangular snuff box with all six exterior panels being in elephant tooth and all interior panels in tortoiseshell (blond with brown patches), mounted in white metal.
Dimensions
  • 02802( is) length: 71.0 & 69.0mm (Note: Lengths of lid/base and mid-way down respectively, including the silver mounts)
  • 02802( is) width: 49.6 & 47.2mm (+/- 0.6) (Note: Widths of lid/base and mid-way down respectively, including the silver mounts)
  • 02802( is) height: 25.5 & 21.8mm (+/- 0.1) (Note: Overall height when closed & when open respectively)
  • 02802( is) depth: 19.0mm (+/- 0.4) (Note: Internal depth when open)
Object history
This snuff box was formerly in The India Museum in London and it was then transferred to the South Kensington Museum (later renamed The Victoria & Albert Museum) in 1879.
Summary
This snuff box was made in India in the 19th century with interior and exterior decoration made of animal products that were commonly used at the time but modern examples of which are now prohibited.
Collection
Accession number
02808(IS)

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Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
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