Snuff box, 1665
This is a snuff box made of wood and horn. An inscription reads, 'EITHER LOVE MEE OR LUV MEE NOT'.
This has changed from its original inscription which would have been, âIf you love mee lend mee notâ. Perhaps the person who restored it had other things on his mind than just losing his snuff box.
Snuff is powdered tobacco. People kept it in small boxes and sniffed it in pinches or off their thumbs.
This item was purchased in 1915 with a V&A Purchase grant.
Nasal snuff is finely ground, flavored tobacco. On his second voyage to America Christopher Columbus saw native Taino-Indians sniffing tobacco. In later years an Italian monk is believed to have introduced this to Europe.
In the 16th century taking snuff tobacco became very popular in the French royal court. This was mostly for medicinal qualities but it soon became a simple and pleasurable habit. It became fashionable amongst royalty and aristocracy throughout Europe.
During the 17th century snuff taking became more popular in Europe. Snuff became increasingly popular in England after Charles II introduced it in 1660.
Despite its popularity with some, others were strongly against snuff and tobacco. In the 17th century Tsar Michael I of Russia ordered that snuff takers should have their noses cut off. Smokers were to have their lips slit and be whipped for the first offence and executed for the second. During this period Pope Urban XIII ordered that anyone found guilty of taking snuff in church should be excommunicated.
