First generation tobacco box

May 2024

In the beginning tobacco was very expensive due to transport from Virginia. The expensive and precious weed deserved a safe way to store. It is not surprising that the earliest smokers were in favour of appropriate packaging. This is such an early tobacco box. It is a cast box of 6 centimeters in length, made of brass and intended for the first generation of smokers. The requirements set by the user were a size that was not too large, sturdiness, a well-closing lid and something extra. In that first period, the tobacco pipes were so small that they could not be filled with a finger. So it was practical to have a pipe stopper and the box maker applied that instrument at the hinge on the inside of the box. This box is moulded and has a considerable weight. Wear and tear would not quickly destroy such a sturdy box. In addition, the shape is practical. Thanks to the flat bottom, the object can stand stably on the table, but it is also a jewel. The outside is decorated with a pattern in relief of curly leaf vines that are geometrically arranged at a second glance. The background of these fields is deepened and slightly roughened. They suggest that they could be filled in with multi-coloured enamel. However, that is not necessary and it never seems to have been the case with this box. Even in this less flashy version, it is still an object for a chic, more wealthy smoker.

Amsterdam Pipe Museum APM 24.731

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