Snuffbox 1770 - 1771

This is a gold snuffbox, made by Pierre-François-Mathis de Beaulieu, a Parisian goldsmith, probably sometime in the 1770s or 80s. The box is decorated with fluted panels and garlands, with allegorical scenes in medallions on the top and sides. Snuffboxes like these were luxury items, status symbols in the late eighteenth century. The fashion for snuff-taking had been popular for over a century, but these objects became important markers of elite social status. The goldsmiths who made them were highly prized, and operated within a very specific guild system. This box gives us a glimpse into the aristocratic culture of pre-revolutionary France. Through archival research, we can discover more about the goldsmiths and other artisans who produced luxury goods, and about the noble consumers who bought them. By studying the details of an object like this, we can learn much about the social and economic life of the time.