Snuff container
Snuff container

On view

Asian Art
Huo Pavilion

Snuff container,

20th century

Shona artist
1998-557

This snuff container was worn around the neck or attached at the waist of its owner, either a man or a woman. Throughout South Africa, snuff, or tobacco, was thought to facilitate social relationships and was used as an offering to the ancestors.

Information

Title
Snuff container
Dates

20th century

Maker
Shona artist
Medium
Wood and brass
Dimensions
13.2 cm x 5.1 cm x 4.6 cm (5 3/16 x 2 x 1 13/16 in.)
Credit Line
Bequest of John B. Elliott, Class of 1951
Object Number
1998-557
Place Made

Africa, Zimbabwe

Culture
African, Shona
Type
woodwork, snuffboxes
Materials
wood, metal, wire, brass (alloy)
Techniques
carving, incising
Subject
geometric patterns, tobacco

John B. Elliott (1928-1997), New York, NY by 1987; bequeathed to the Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton, NJ, 1998.

IIIF manifest

The International Image Interoperability Framework, or IIIF, is an open standard for delivering high-quality, attributed digital objects online at scale. Visit iiif.io to learn more.

Open API URL

Our API is generally designed to provide programmatic access to the Museum's collections data for applications that require regular updates and/or the ability to dynamically query and filter the data via the endpoints provided.

Share your feedback with us

The Museum regularly researches its objects and their collecting histories, updating its records to reflect new information. We also strive to catalogue works of art using language that is consistent with how people, subjects, artists, and cultures describe themselves. As this effort is ongoing, the Museum’s records may be incomplete or contain terms that are no longer acceptable. We welcome your feedback, questions, and additional information that you feel may be useful to us. Email us at collectionsinfo@princeton.edu.

Explore More

Holidays at the Museum

Princeton Collects

Mosaic Restaurant