The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of September 14, 2026

Two white porcelain jars with cylindrical bodies feature vibrant, multicolored floral sprays. One vessel displays a pink anemone and yellow-and-red tulip, while the other features a pink rose surrounded by blue and yellow blossoms. Scalloped gold borders wrap around the base and lip of each jar. Domed lids, rimmed with dark metal, sit atop the jars, each crowned by a small, white bird-shaped knob that juts upward.

Pair of Covered Jars (Pots de tabac)

c. 1779–1789
made by

Faubourg Saint-Denis

(French)
France
Hard-paste porcelain with enamel and gilt decoration; metal mount
Diameter: 9.6 cm (3 3/4 in.); Overall: 14 cm (5 1/2 in.)
The Norweb Collection 1964.517
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Processes outlined in Simon Barbe’s 1693 Le Parfumeur Français (The French Perfumer) describe various ways to prepare snuff including the addition of scents, coloration of the powder, and several different grinding methods.

Description

Due to the discovery of the ingredient kaolin in Saint-Yrieix, France in 1768-69, European porcelain factories were able to replicate the prized hard-paste porcelain of China and Japan. In the years following, many porcelain factories opened in the area, including Faubourg Saint-Denis in 1772. These jars, sold alone or in sets, would have stored snuff, powdered tobacco meant to be inhaled, or loose tobacco for smoking.
  • R. Henry Norweb, Cleveland, Ohio.
  • Year in Review: 1965. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 27-November 14, 1965).
  • {{cite web|title=Pair of Covered Jars (Pots de tabac)|url=false|author=Faubourg Saint-Denis|year=c. 1779–1789|access-date=14 September 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1964.517