Dutch Snuffboxes
Material Traces of an Early Modern Fashion and Practice
Boxes are particularly interesting objects of study with respect to both form and function. This is certainly also true in the case of snuffboxes, which owe their charm to their quaintness and craft.
About the project
In early modern Europe, the taking of snuff was a popular method of tobacco consumption, especially among elites – the opulence of the snuffboxes found in museum collections testify to their high status. The snuffbox served as a fashionable accessory through which the owner could signify their affluence and partake in the sociable practice of snuff-taking.
In comparison to the French and British contexts, relatively little is known about Dutch snuffboxes and snuff culture. This project intends to bring some of these histories to light using objects in the Rijksmuseum’s collection as points of entry.
Aim of the project
In the late 17th-century Dutch Republic, the rise of snuff went hand in hand with an emerging market for snuffboxes. Artisans responded by employing a variety of materials, shapes and decorations to create pocket-sized accessories intended both for practical use and to be shown off.
How did snuffboxes feature in early modern Dutch society, and what can these objects tell us about the circulation of luxury goods in the early modern period, about social customs and about international trends? These are the key questions which the research project aims to address.
Researchers
Josephine Koopman
j.koopman@rijksmuseum.nl
Johan Huizinga Fellow
Eveline Sint Nicolaas
e.sintnicolaas@rijksmuseum.nl
Senior conservator Geschiedenis
Alexander Dencher
a.dencher@rijksmuseum.nl
Conservator Meubelen
Partners and Sponsors
Johan Huizinga Fellowship