Snuffbox
Ca. 1800 snuffbox made primarily from brass. The raised patterns of fruit and birds are made from copper. According to the Wallace Collection Museum, snuff, normally scented and powdered tobacco, was popular as early as the eighteenth century. It was commonly stored in decorative boxes, such as the one featured. These boxes may be made from various materials such as shells, wood, and precious metals, and were considered collectibles as far back as the nineteenth century. As a fashion accessory and means of self-promotion, practical storage was a secondary feature.
Our decorative box was donated to the museum in 1986 by past Westford resident Lillian Laidlaw (1906-1993). It was used by her relative in England during the nineteenth century.
W.1986.9.1