Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
1980s Italian Queen Anne Vintage Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Sterling Silver, Enamel
Mid-19th Century French Romantic Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Other
Early 20th Century French Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Ceramic
19th Century European Japonisme Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Silver
Early 19th Century British Regency Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Lead
1930s Chinese Chinoiserie Vintage Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Metal, Enamel
Late 20th Century Indian Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Bronze
Late 19th Century Chinese Late Victorian Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Marble
18th Century French Louis XV Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Gold
1790s French Neoclassical Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Gold
19th Century Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Sterling Silver
19th Century Austrian Victorian Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Terracotta
1860s British Victorian Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Sterling Silver
19th Century Asian Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Silver
Late 19th Century Chinese Late Victorian Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Soapstone
Early 19th Century French Empire Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Gold, Enamel
Mid-20th Century Spanish Mid-Century Modern Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Metal
Early 20th Century English Edwardian Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Sterling Silver
1960s Italian Baroque Vintage Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Sterling Silver, Enamel
Early 19th Century English Georgian Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Sterling Silver
1970s Italian Baroque Vintage Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Sterling Silver, Enamel
1980s Vintage Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Lead
Early 20th Century Unknown Islamic Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Paper
1690s German Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Silver
18th Century Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Fruitwood
Early 1900s Chinese Chinese Export Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Silver
Late 20th Century Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Brass
Mid-20th Century Belgian Art Nouveau Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Ceramic
20th Century Chinese Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Glass
2010s Danish Modern Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Metal
Mid-19th Century European Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Sterling Silver
1970s Italian Art Deco Vintage Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Sterling Silver, Enamel
Early 1900s Austrian Victorian Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Silver
1930s Vintage Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Steel
1960s Italian Baroque Vintage Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Gold, Sterling Silver, Enamel
1960s Italian Louis XIV Vintage Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Sterling Silver, Enamel, Gold
1880s English Victorian Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Sterling Silver, Enamel
Early 20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Gold, Silver
1980s Italian Art Nouveau Vintage Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Sterling Silver, Enamel
18th Century Dutch Baroque Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Brass
Mid-20th Century English Art Deco Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century Rococo Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Sterling Silver
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Sterling Silver, Enamel
1910s German Vintage Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century French Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Ceramic
Mid-19th Century Indian Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Bronze, Copper
1820s German Regency Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Paper
1890s Chinese Chinese Export Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Silver
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Metal
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Brass
1930s Italian Vintage Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Bakelite
Early 1800s British George III Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Silver
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Sterling Silver, Enamel
20th Century European Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Crystal, Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Georgian Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Sterling Silver
1940s English Art Deco Vintage Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Sterling Silver
Antique Snuffboxes and Tobacco Boxes
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. Today antique snuffboxes and tobacco boxes — as well as other vintage tobacco accessories — are collectibles and charming pieces of decor for any display case or to elevate your bookshelves.
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.