Snuffbox 1755 - 1765

This snuffbox was made at the Fürstenberg Porcelain Manufactory, which was founded in Germany in 1747. The box would have been used to hold finely ground tobacco, inhaled for a nicotine hit. Snuff-taking became popular among the European elite as tobacco consumption grew and it became fashionable to show off your wealth with ornate accessories. This particular piece is porcelain, a very expensive material at the time, and features an enameled portrait of a noble in profile, surrounded by foliage. The manufactory that made this object was a court institution, supported by royalty and catering to their tastes and the tastes of the aristocracy. By producing luxury goods like this, the manufactory shored up the prestige of the ruling class and signaled the power and status of its owners. To understand such objects fully, we need to dig into archives, study the history of fashion, and reconstruct the social rituals that gave objects like these their meaning.