Two Dutch Delftware Tobacco Jars With Original Lids: Varinas & St. Omer, 18th Century

Delft
1760 – 1790
Workshop: De Drie Klokken (The Three Bells)

A genuine set of two blue and white tobacco jar for the storage of tobacco with an original brass lids.
The jars are inscribed Varinas and St. Omer in a cartouche on the base of the jar. Above this we can see a Native American and a Moor smoking a pipe, withc tobacco barrels and boxes around them and with a merchant ship in the back. The brands refers to the City of Saint Omer in France and the City of Varinas or Barinas in Venezuela. Varinas was considered the best tobacco in the world.

Both marked with three ”bell” symbols.

In the 18th century, tobacco became an integral part of social life. Initially, in the 16th and 17th century valued for its exotic origins as a medicinal product, it later gained popularity as a stimulant. Tobacco was sold in dedicated shops where shopkeepers stored it in large Dutch Delftware jars. Smaller jars were used for snuff tobacco (Rappe), as only small quantities were required. These jars often bore inscriptions identifying the specific blends, such as Kruidnagel (Clove), Bergamot, Rozengeur (rose scent), Tonka (Tonka bean), and Violet. They also indicated the region of origin, including places like Havana, Macuba (Cuba), Martiniek (Martinique), Maryland, Portorico (Puerto Rico), Virginia, St. Vincent, St. Omer, Baltimore, Duinkerken (Dunkirk), Eindhoven, and so on, and broader areas like the USA and Hollandia (Holland)

In addition to inscriptions, the jars were often adorned with decorative images. A common motif was an elaborate floral cartouche topped with a flower basket. Less frequently, jars depicted Native Americans and Moors, symbolizing the exotic roots of tobacco and its connection to slavery and plantations. Even rarer were jars featuring the VOC (Dutch East India Company) logo, an anomaly, as the WIC (West India Company) was responsible for trade with the Americas. The rarest designs included images of buildings, ships, or other unique subjects, likely special commissions.

The jar is in very good condition with the normal small chips and wear of use, according to age.