Blackened wooden snuffbox with checkerboard lid (Masonic) 17th-16th century 7cm

  

Have you visited my shop? And I will count a single shipping fee for multiple items. Very old pocket snuffbox made of noble blackened wood (checkerboard lid, certainly Masonic).

A pocket snuffbox must be flat and small enough to easily fit in the pocket. Its shape should help the hand hold it horizontally; its opening must be large enough to allow for a pinch with two fingers, and its closure must be perfectly airtight to prevent any unwanted moisture. Snuff tobacco, somewhat exotic, was primarily reserved for the delicate nostrils of aristocrats, then the bourgeois, while chewing tobacco was only suitable for the coarsest mouths. Initially, snuff was used for medicinal purposes, then for pleasure.

A man taking snuff with his snuffbox in hand. Snuffing tobacco became widespread in Europe, and in European salons, it was common to be interrupted in conversation by the sound of a sneeze, which was then considered distinguished. Women took snuff with as much enthusiasm as men. It was fashionable to change snuffboxes every day.

They willingly adapted to their owner’s clothing as well as their moods. Taken out of a pocket or small bag, they were passed from hand to hand in salons, which allowed for the determination of the owner's social rank and wealth. As a result, snuffboxes, often decorated, became the latest fashionable accessory and an important symbol of social status. In this regard, the snuffbox was often given as a gift or worn as jewelry. They were gladly offered as tokens of love with the portrait of the beloved, or to signify friendship.

Precious models, filled with silver or gemstones, became diplomatic or military gifts. King Louis XIV, who did not take snuff, had many expensive ones made to give to representatives of foreign powers he dealt with. Snuffboxes were primarily made of gold adorned with gemstones, silver, enamel, mother-of-pearl, porcelain, Oriental lacquer, or Martin varnish (an imitation of lacquer). Over time, with the rise of its culture (the powdered tobacco from the general farmers, primarily made in Morlaix, was highly valued), tobacco became increasingly popular, ultimately reaching all layers of society. Thus, during the Revolution, the snuffbox was no longer reserved for the wealthy; tobacco became democratized, and the people began to take snuff. The snuffbox also became a rallying sign for the sans-culottes and was widely used by the army. Gold was replaced by “pomponne,” developed by two goldsmiths, Turgot and Daumy, who settled at the end of the 18th century in the Hôtel de Pomponne, Rue de la Verrerie in Paris.

It is an alloy based on copper meant to imitate gold or silver. Louis XV granted them a manufacturing privilege, whereas until then, all imitation was prohibited. New materials emerged: papier-mâché, leather, bark...

The servant, the washerwoman, as well as the poorest peasants also had their “snuffbox.” Thus, initially sold only at apothecaries, tobacco eventually found its place behind grocery counters before joining certain gambling houses and drinking establishments called "tabagies." There are many shapes and sizes of snuffboxes, whether pocket or table-sized, depending on their use outside or inside.