The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 29, 2024

Snuff Container

Snuff Container

late 1800s or early 1900s

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  • Unpublished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=29 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

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