Snuffbox 1765 - 1770

This delicate snuffbox was crafted at the Real Fábrica del Buen Retiro in Spain, a royal porcelain factory with a relatively short, turbulent history. Snuffboxes were luxury items, and porcelain, sometimes called ‘white gold’, was the perfect material to display wealth and status. The snuffbox would have been used among the European aristocratic elite of the 18th century. Here, a gentle landscape is rendered in monochrome, populated by figures who recline in graceful poses. The factory itself was founded in 1760 by Charles III who moved equipment from the Capodimonte factory in Naples. Understanding the social history of the snuffbox involves exploring how European royal families invested in the production of luxury goods as a means of signaling power. We can study the archives of the factory, and the trade routes through which porcelain spread, to understand its place in European society.