The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of January 25, 2025

Snuff Container

Snuff Container

late 1800s or early 1900s
Hide, earth, and blood
Gift of Frank Herreman in memory of Hendrik and Marcelle Herreman 2016.60
Location: 108B Southern African

Did You Know?

The tobacco product snuff was stored in decorative, yet useful, containers like this one.

Description

Snuff containers made from a mixture of hide, earth, and blood constitute a very rare type of object in the artistic production of southern Africa. The specific gourdlike shape is an even more unusual occurrence. Its materials and purpose refer to the communication between animals and humans.
  • ?–1970s
    Hylton Nel [b. 1941], London, UK, 1970s, given to Frank Herreman
    1970s–2016
    Frank Herreman [b. 1949], Antwerp, Belgium, given to the Clevland Museum of Art
    2016–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Unpublished
  • No exhibition history.
  • {{cite web|title=Snuff Container|url=false|author=|year=late 1800s or early 1900s|access-date=25 January 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2016.60