Snuifdoos van goud, rechthoekig, bedekt met parelmoer, émail en diamant en versierd met vogels en voluten c. 1700 - 1800

This rectangular snuffbox is made of gold, covered with mother-of-pearl, enamel, and diamonds, and adorned with birds and volutes; its maker is currently unknown. Snuffboxes like these were highly prized luxury items in the 18th and 19th centuries, emblems of wealth and aristocratic leisure. The intricate design, featuring delicate birds in pastoral settings, speaks to the era's fascination with nature, interpreted through a lens of privilege and control. Snuff-taking itself was a social ritual, a performance of status and refinement. One can imagine how the act of opening such a box, inhaling the tobacco, and sharing it within a select circle reinforced social hierarchies and solidified elite identities. This object offers insight into the opulence of past eras, and prompts us to consider the historical disparities in access and privilege. What stories could this small box tell about power, status, and identity?