The hidden truth?

What was inside this box? A snuffbox is supposed to have contained snuff, a type of finely-ground tobacco. It has the appearance of dry tan dust but has a different texture. Different types of snuff were produced, as they were enhanced with flavors such as vanilla, orange, coffee, honey, and chocolate.

Traditional snuff production was a lengthy process. The first step is the selection of tobacco leaves, followed by fermentation. Then they were blended so as to create different and unique flavors. Finally, a long storage time was required to reach maturity. Traditional snuff did not need any extra substances to increase its flavor.

Tobacco was introduced to Europe from the Americas, as part of the “Columbian exchange” between the two continents. It was first brought to Spain as part of Columbus’s second voyage in the 1490s. Later, it spread through the European countries because of its medicinal characteristics, as people soon associated it with a quick relief for all kinds of aches and hunger. It was even said that tobacco was a widely applicable medicine, curing any illness of the human internal organs, such as kidneys. The consumption of snuff, as a new kind of drug, quickly spread throughout society, and with it, problems of misuse and addiction.

With European imperialism, snuff culture spread across the globe. Snuffboxes were even produced in China… read more about this topic in this longread.