Snuff Box Or Snuff Box Amboyna Burl Mother Of Pearl And Ebony Inlay - Period: XIXth

Elegant little snuff box or pocket snuffbox, made of Ambony burl with mother of pearl and ebony inlay.

Period : 19th century 
Dimensions : Height : 5cm x Length : 11cm x Width : 5cm
 
It was in the 16th century, at the court of Catherine de Medici, that people started to take snuff for medical reasons, to cure colds, asthma and circulatory disorders, etc...

Then this habit became a pleasure. 
At the beginning for people in good condition, then the practice became more democratic. 

Breathing in a scented powder that could mask the very unpleasant odours of the streets at that time made the fashion spread throughout the kingdom and then to Europe. 

Herbs or fine oils were added to snuff to refine its taste. 

Women were just as enthusiastic about snuff as men. It was fashionable to change snuff boxes every day. 

The snuffbox became a fashion accessory and an important status symbol. 
At the end of the 19th century, snuff was gradually replaced by cigars, cigarettes and rolling tobacco.

Specialists, including collectors (buxidanicophiles), will tell you that there are also terms for each form.