Reproduction
Limoges
Masonic
Porcelain Boxes
The Pyramid Round
Temple The Matchsafe
The Temple and Candles Wisdom and
Freedom
King Solomon's
Seal Temple and Pillars on
Book
Temple w/Jachin & Boaz
It is a truism that almost every
human habit produces some form of beauty in one of the arts. The practice of
snuff-taking has been no exception to the rule and the study of this
development in the snuff box is a fascinating one. It is perhaps in the art
of the metal worker, whether goldsmith, silversmith, or pewterer, that this
artistic achievement has been demonstrated through the centuries of snuff
indulgence. Just as, for the earliest smokers, the craftsman created
exquisite things in the form of shredding knives, tobacco jars, boxes and
pouches, so has he given us a legacy in the form of snuff boxes, some of them
of unsurpassed beauty and of considerable value as works of art.
Since snuff boxes first became
popular, boxes have been made from a wide variety of materials and we find
today in private collections and museums, wonderful examples in gold and
silver, brass and copper, ebony, pewter, jade and agate, ivory,
mother-of-pearl, tortoiseshell, horn, leather, papier mache, and numerous rare
and beautiful woods.
But beauty is not the last word
in the creation of snuff boxes. They must be practical and efficient. It is
fitting that snuff be enshrined in these precious materials but, however rare
they may be and however beautiful the box, there is one essential factor that
must come before all else - the box today must be made in such a way as to be
"snuff-proof" and it must keep the snuff in good condition.
