Snuffbox

Object Name:

Snuffbox

Object ID:

1924.003.14

Place of Origin:

England

Date:

circa 1840

Description:

Snuffbox. Round; papier-mache, painted. Top and bottom surfaces painted black or dark brown. Top and bottom flat. Small elevated rim around edge of top and bottom. Sides slightly concave. Bottom elevated lip inside surface that engages top. Portrait on top of seated woman facing slightly right. She is in front of a blue background, with lighter blue around her head. Wearing reddish jacket with large sleeves. Two brownish, horizontal decorative bands around it. Looks like blue flowers printed above and below bands. Dark wide belt with light-colored trim around edges. Light-colored rectangular buckle. Black gloves and is holding something in her lap at very bottom edge of picture. Green bow at base of throat. White, folded collar around top of dress. Blue bonnet with white trim around edge across top and sides of her hair. Wide yellow ribbon across top of bonnet that hangs down to her shoulder on her right side. On her left side, ribbon hangs down to near her waist. Brown hair, dark-colored eyes, dark eyebrows, red lips, rosy-colored cheeks. Inside box, paper written on both sides, black band on two adjacent sides. Handwritten blue-gray ink: "This snuff box was the / property of / Mrs Seth Greenleaf / but is (on other side:) / here seen in the hand / of her sister / Mrs Charlotte Clipper". Another piece of paper with typed writing: "SNUFFBOX / This lacquered box was hand painted, / dates c. 1840, and belonged to Mrs. Seth Greenleaf. / The box is shown in the accompanying photograph / in the hand of the owner's sister." (Accession # in pencil).

Material:

Papier-mache

Dimensions:

H-0.8 Dia-3.6 inches Weight-1.65 oz

Provenance:

Originally owned by Lydia H. (Burnham) Greenleaf (1810-1903), the mother of Charles H. Greenleaf (1841-1924), the husband of the donor, Mabelle Furst Greenleaf (1873-1966).

Credit Line:

Gift of Mabelle Furst Greenleaf, in memory of Charles Henry Greenleaf and Edith Greenleaf

People:

Greenleaf, Lydia H. (1810-1903), Clifford, Charlotte (1794-1854), Greenleaf, Charles Henry (1841-1924), Greenleaf, Edith (1916-1916), Greenleaf, Mabelle F. (1873-1966)