On the Craving of the Wanton Nose

During the 18th century the major focus of tobacco culture shifted to France, where it became fashionable to take it in a new form, namely as snuff.

'Snuffing' had been observed amongst the Taino Amerindians on Haiti as early as 1493 by Father Ramon Pane. In Europe snuff was initially taken for medicinal purposes to treat a whole host of ailments such as toothache, ulcers, lice and even the plague. However, it was soon noticed that the practice had pleasurable as well as salutary effects. In order to enhance this pleasure, snuff was enriched with aromatic herbs and spices such as rosemary, lavender, marjoram, sage or cloves. Rose oil or musk also heightened the pleasurable effects of snuff.

In Spain and Portugal a special method of making snuff known as 'carrotting' was developed. Rather than mixing the pulverised tobacco with additional ingredients, the tobacco leaves themselves were marinated in special sauces for several weeks so that the flavours could penetrate deep into the tobacco. After this the leaves were compressed into a 'carrot', that is, a wedge-shaped plug, which developed an incomparably fine aroma after being left to ferment for several months.
These exclusive types of tobacco, which were considerably more expensive than the kinds sold in powder form, were bought in plugs and the user grated his daily supply with the aid of a snuff grater or rasp, which was why snuff became known internationally as rapé. As befitted the exclusive character of snuff-taking, these graters were ornately decorated, some being of finely-carved and inlaid wood while others were richly painted or made of ivory or enamel.

The aristocracy turned the costly paraphernalia of snuff-taking into a stylised gesture of social self-projection as a means of disassociating themselves from the hoi polloi who continued to smoke tobacco in simple clay pipes. One of the salient features of this culture was the snuffbox, repository of the costly substance. Like the cane or the fan, these small, precious boxes became indispensable accessories for the lady or gentleman of fashion. They were carefully chosen to match clothing, social occasion and even the time of year. One therefore had to possess a great number of these precious boxes to conform to the strictures of social etiquette. Heinrich, Count Brühl, director of the Meissen porcelain manufactory (1733 - 1756), owned several hundred snuffboxes, and the estate of Frederick the Great allegedly numbered 1,500 valuable examples.

As with smoking, snuff-taking was held to enhance creative or intellectual work. In Enlightenment circles, the nose was accorded special importance as the direct passage to the brain, the seat of Reason. In order to ensure free access to the nose men turned away from the turned-up moustaches and imperial beards of the 17th century and began to shave their upper lip. Excessive use of snuff naturally affects the sense of smell, perhaps not so great a loss in view of the prevailing standards of hygiene at the time.

The first boxes made to contain snuff probably differed little from those made to hold cosmetic patches, pastilles or pounce (for blotting ink). It was not until later that the tabatière or snuffbox took on its characteristic form, differing from receptacles for cosmetics or sweetmeats particularly in the cover. As the boxes were carried around by their owners they required a close-fitting hinged lid that was firmly attached to the body of the box. Boxes with loose, detachable lids were more suitable for use at the dressing table.

During the course of the 18th century practically all branches of artisanal production were employed in the service of the cult of the tabatière, as Abraham a Sancta Clara remarked sarcastically: "Goldsmiths, coppersmiths, locksmiths, tinsmiths, clasp-makers, comb-makers, turners of ivory and wood, cabinet-makers and glassblowers ...almost all craftsmen have employment enough with the making of snuffboxes alone..." ¹

¹ Abraham a Sancta Clara. Mercks, Vienna 1680

In 1716 Johann Heinrich Cohausen (1665 – 1750) wrote his polemic entitled On the Craving of the Wanton Nose against the use of snuff as a means of advertising social rank. According to the author snuff-taking could only be justified on medicinal grounds. In the first part of his book he demonstrates how the abuse of snuff can be traced back to a perversion of taste, going on in the second part of his work to describe the harmful effects of snuff, which range from anosmia (loss of one's sense of smell) to deafness.

A costly golden snuffbox quickly became a status symbol, worthy of inclusion when one was having one's portrait painted.

The middle classes were not slow to follow the example of aristocratic society and change from smoking clay pipes to taking snuff. They also took pleasure in these small, exquisitely made boxes and had their portraits painted with them.

This box decorated with gold and diamonds derives from the legendary collection of Frederick the Great. The collection comprised three groups: gold boxes with rich chasing and diamonds, enamelled gold boxes and boxes of semi-precious stones, of which the latter was the largest group. This box derives from the third group and its provenance can be traced back in an unbroken line.

The combination of gold and enamel occurs frequently towards the close of the 18th century. The medallion set into the lid of the box shows Hector bidding farewell to Andromache.

The medallion set into an enamelled blue ground and surrounded by pearls shows Cupid and Psyche.

Very much in 18th-century fashion, this oval snuffbox is decorated with chinoiseries finely painted on porcelain: on the interior and the exterior of the lid are harbour scenes rendered in exquisite detail.

This porcelain group illustrates the ritual of snuff-taking which followed precise rules of etiquette. Possession of one of these exquisite boxes alone was no guarantee of the elegance of its owner. The correct and graceful deployment of the box attested to the owner's taste and social polish.

Among other subjects, this early 18th-century publication contains various recipes for preparing snuff.

Daniel Chodowiecki, one of the stars of the tabatière painting scene, was the highest-paid enameller in Berlin and made snuffboxes for Frederick the Great. The exterior of this signed snuffbox displays genre scenes of elegant couples strolling in a park. The interior of the lid is decorated with a portrait of a lady at her toilette.

This figurative snuffbox in the form of a crab attests to a detailed observation of nature.

The St Cloud manufactory specialised in making figurative snuffboxes of soft-paste porcelain, which contains less kaolin than hard-paste porcelain. Boxes in the shape of animals, especially monkeys and cats, were very popular.

This snuffbox has the form of a shepherdess lying on a flower-studded meadow.

The graters needed to prepare a day's supply of snuff from a 'carrot' of tobacco were intended to match the exclusivity of the snuffboxes in their materials and execution. This ivory grater displays skilful carving.

Snuffboxes with detailed decoration partly executed in gold are typical of the work of Pierre Fromery, an artist from Berlin. This lid bears his signature.

This snuffbox from Fromery's workshop also displays the partly gilded decoration typical of his work.

This double-lidded snuffbox with two chambers allowed its owner to carry two different sorts of snuff around with him.

The lid of this snuffbox shows the façade of Schönbrunn Palace with the Gloriette in the background.

This agate snuffbox has particularly ornate gold mounts which cover the entire body of the box. On the lid they show Mars between two cuirasses with a banner and the standard of the Holy Roman Empire. The sides of the box are decorated with military motifs.

Worked in silver piqué, this snuffbox shows a scene from the story of David and Bathsheba. Piqué work is a technique by which tiny slivers of gold, silver or mother-of-pearl are inlaid into tortoiseshell or ivory.