Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
18th Century French Louis XV Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Enamel, Gold
18th Century Chinese Qing Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Bronze, Enamel
18th Century Dutch Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Brass
Late 18th Century French Louis XV Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Gold, Enamel
17th Century English William and Mary Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Silver, Sterling Silver
Mid-18th Century English Rococo Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Gold
1720s Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Silver
Mid-18th Century British Neoclassical Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Lead
Early 1700s English Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Britannia Standard Silver
18th Century French Victorian Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Tin
1750s French Louis XV Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Chestnut, Fruitwood
Late 18th Century European Louis XVI Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Sterling Silver
Late 18th Century Rococo Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Sterling Silver, Gold Plate, Silver
1780s English George III Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Pewter
Mid-18th Century French Romantic Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Other, Brass
Late 18th Century European Georgian Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Wood
1770s French Louis XVI Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Gold, Enamel
Late 18th Century European Georgian Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Wood, Fruitwood
Mid-18th Century French Rococo Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Ormolu
Mid-18th Century French Rococo Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Silver
18th Century Dutch Georgian Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Sterling Silver
1610s British Romantic Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Silver, Sterling Silver
Late 18th Century American Edwardian Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Gold
1780s English George III Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Bronze, Enamel
18th Century Dutch Colonial Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Brass
18th Century Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Fruitwood
1750s American Queen Anne Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Brass, Lead
1790s French Louis XVI Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Agate, Gold, Silver
18th Century French Louis XV Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Gold
1790s French Neoclassical Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Gold
1690s German Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Silver
18th Century French Louis XV Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Gold
18th Century Dutch Baroque Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Brass
18th Century Dutch Colonial Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Brass
Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Gold
1780s English George III Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Sterling Silver
Mid-18th Century European Rococo Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Bronze
18th Century German Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Gold
Mid-18th Century French Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Gold
1670s English Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Agate, Gold
18th Century Georgian Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Wood, Walnut
1770s French Louis XVI Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Gold
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Copper
1780s Swiss Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Gold
Mid-18th Century German Louis XV Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Silver
18th Century Dutch Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Paper
Early 18th Century Chinese Chinese Export Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Gold, Silver, Bronze
18th Century English Georgian Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Stone, Gold
Late 18th Century Swiss Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Gold
18th Century Chinese Other Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Lacquer
18th Century Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Walnut
17th Century Dutch Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Silver
Mid-18th Century French Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Porcelain
18th Century German Neoclassical Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Porcelain
Mid-18th Century Austrian Neoclassical Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Lacquer, Wood, Fabric
18th Century French Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Porphyry, Silver
1790s European Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Enamel
18th Century English George III Antique Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Copper, Enamel
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.