Snuff Box c. 1740

This small Snuff Box was made by Pierre Fromery in the 18th century. As a historian, my job is to examine how an object like this can open up a wider understanding of the world in which it was made. The box is made of porcelain with enamel and gilding. Fromery was a key figure in the story of luxury production in Europe, at a moment when artisans were experimenting with new materials and production processes. The appeal of these boxes resided less in their practical use and more in their aesthetic and social values. In the 1700s, snuff-taking became very popular among the upper classes of Europe, as tobacco was increasingly imported from the Americas. Consequently, boxes like this became fashionable accessories, a visual marker of refinement and luxury, made and traded within a complex global economy. To fully understand the Snuff Box, we can also examine objects, texts and other cultural artifacts.