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Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes

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Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes For Sale
1970s Indian Bronze Box with Character on the Lid
Located in Marbella, ES
1970s Indian bronze box with character on the lid.
Category

Late 20th Century Indian Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes

Materials

Bronze

Japanese Inro with 4 19th Century Boxes in Gold Lacquer with Matt Kinji Backgrou
Located in Marseille, FR
Japanese inro with 4 XIXth century boxes in gold lacquer with matt kinji background decorated in gold taka makiyé of different tones. Lacquered wood measuring 65 x 70 x 22 mm. Weight...
Category

19th Century Japanese Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes

Materials

Lacquer

Montesquieu Portrait Tortoiseshell Snuff Box
By Jacques Joseph de Gault
Located in New Orleans, LA
An exquisite miniature of French philosopher Charles Montesquieu graces the lid of this tortoiseshell-lined snuff box. The handsome portrait was fash...
Category

18th Century French Louis XV Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes

Materials

Gold, Enamel

"Ducks in Flight" Table Snuff Box Made in Birmingham by Daniel Pettifer, 1851
By David Pettifer 1
Located in London, GB
A Very Rare "Ducks in Flight" Table Snuff Box Made in Birmingham in 1851 by Daniel Pettifer. The Snuff Box has a shaped base and rim and incuse corners. The sides are engraved with...
Category

19th Century English Early Victorian Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes

Materials

Silver

Antique Old English Tobacco Box, Mahogany with Brass Banding
Located in New Orleans, LA
A wonderful old tobacco box with handsome banding.  
Category

Late 19th Century English Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes

Materials

Brass

Monkey Tobacco Box by Edouard-Marcel Sandoz
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Monkey tobacco box by Edouard Marcel Sandoz (1881-1971) and manufactured by Haviland. Wapler, Jacques-Ph. (1999) "De la sculpture a la porcela...
Category

1920s French Art Deco Vintage Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes

Materials

Porcelain

Antique Snuffboxes for Sale on 1stDibs

Today antique snuffboxes and tobacco boxes — as well as a lot of other vintage tobacco accessories — are collectibles and charming pieces of decor for any display case or to elevate your bookshelves.

Snuff, made of ground tobacco, was especially popular with Europeans in the 1600s. The ornate boxes to keep the powder dry became highly decorative by the 18th century. It was considered a must-have item, particularly for nobility.

The most important feature of a snuffbox was that it was airtight. The box protected the snuff from oxygen. Another crucial component was the flat lid.

Snuffboxes could be small enough to fit into a pocket or a larger container for communal use at the table. They also came in different shapes. Porcelain containers were prevalent and often designed to look like trunks. Others were oval or square. Boxes made with cowrie shells were rare and more expensive.

Snuffboxes were usually crafted from silver, gold, horn or tortoiseshell. Some of the most prestigious snuffboxes were French tabatières made of gold and sometimes glass. They could be adorned with amethysts, sapphires and diamonds and enameled, engraved or chased.

Sheffield, England, was known for its silver snuffboxes in the late 18th century as its silver-plating technologies perfected these containers. By the early 19th century, the silver industry in Birmingham, England, was producing elegant snuffboxes with images of abbeys and castles on the sides and top.

Another type of tobacco box was the snuff mull or mill. It was made out of horn or an entire ram’s head and topped with a metal lid, frequently featuring engravings and decorative hinges. These were fashionable in Scotland during the 19th century. The origin of its name is unclear.

On 1stDibs, find a plentiful range of antique snuffboxes and tobacco boxes to complement any home decor or furniture style. You can browse the collection by style, which includes Victorian, Georgian and Art Deco, or by material to find pieces in silver and gold.

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