Tabakspot 1774

This is a silver tobacco box made by Pieter van Somerwil II, a Dutch silversmith who lived between 1737 and 1802. Its creation coincides with a period when tobacco use was becoming increasingly popular and socially integrated in Europe. The cultural context of the Dutch Republic at this time, with its global trade networks, surely influenced the availability and affordability of tobacco, making items like this tobacco box more commonplace. Also, the craftsmanship itself reflects the Dutch Republic's sophisticated artisan culture during this period. To more deeply understand this piece, we might investigate the economic and social factors that drove tobacco use, look into guild systems and the training of silversmiths, and examine probate inventories to see who owned such items. This is how historical context enriches our understanding of art.