The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 20, 2025
Snuff Box (Tabatière)
1777–78
Location: Not on view
Did You Know?
Not only did the design of a snuff box carry important social and political implications, proper snuff taking etiquette, outlined in 18th-century publications, also communicated status.Description
This box’s black and white design imitates a rare type of agate patterned with black veins that look like the branches of a tree or aquatic plant. Enamel that simulated agate was popular around 1775–80, evoking an 18th-century French interest in natural curiosities, mineralogy, and botany. Charles Le Bastier himself made at least seven boxes using this motif between 1775 and 1779.- Mrs. Edward B. Greene, Cleveland, Ohio.
- {{cite web|title=Snuff Box (Tabatière)|url=false|author=Charles Le Bastier|year=1777–78|access-date=20 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1957.406