A dark brown teapot in the shape of a figure wearing a hat.

Unknown Maker, American

Snuff-Taker Toby Teapot

Maker

Unknown Maker, American

Culture

American

Title

Snuff-Taker Toby Teapot

Year

mid 1800s

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

glazed ceramic

Geography

Place Made: Bennington; Place Made: Vermont

Dimensions

Height: 26.4 cm (10 3/8 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift of Miss Alice Brownell, Mrs. Ernst R. Behrend and Alfred S. Brownell

Object Number

29.189

Type

Exhibition History

Trading Earth
Ceramics, Commodities, and Commerce
Apr 09, 2022 – Aug 03, 2025

Label copy

Placed on the back of the hand and inhaled through the nose, finely ground tobacco, or snuff, offers a smokeless way of ingesting nicotine. The practice began in Brazil, spreading through the Americas and to Europe by the 1700s, where the custom became one of social performance, accompanied by innovatively designed snuff boxes.

The English Eye
British Painting from the 17th to the 19th Centuries; Contemporary British Art; Old Master British Drawings and Watercolors; British Picture Books for Children; Three Centuries of British Decorative Arts, Textiles, and Costume
Jun 21, 1991 – Sep 01, 1991

Image use

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Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, American
Snuff-Taker Toby Teapot, mid 1800s
Ceramic with glaze
Height: 26.4 cm (10 3/8 inches)
Gift of Miss Alice Brownell, Mrs. Ernst R. Behrend and Alfred S. Brownell 29.189

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