Snuffbox 1750 - 1751

This elegant snuffbox was crafted in the late 17th or early 18th century by Joseph Vallayer, using gold and enamel. Notice the intricate detail of the gold work, chasing, and engraving, and the delicate enamel painting – all requiring immense skill. The precious materials speak to the wealth of its owner, while the box itself speaks of fashionable rituals. Snuff, or powdered tobacco, was an elite commodity, and its consumption a social performance. Consider, too, the labor involved in creating such an object. From mining the gold to the highly specialized skills of the goldsmith and enameler, many hands were involved. The box embodies a world of social relations, economic power, and aesthetic refinement. It blurs distinctions between art, craft, and luxury, inviting us to consider the value we place on objects, and the processes that bring them into being.