Snuffbox

Object Name:

Snuffbox

Object ID:

1907.007.03

Place of Origin:

England (probably)

Date:

1780-1820

Description:

Snuff Box. Pewter. Rectangular box with canted corners. Hinged cover engraved with neoclassical swag-and-diamond cartouche. Cartouche is overall a shield-shape, with curtains and swags on sides and top, and large diamond in the center. Lid decoration also includes wriggle-work border decorations, including: two rows of incised dots along the outer edge, rows of zig-zags on either side of the hinges, and small divots on the top of the hinge. Inner surface of lid has walls along long sides. Hinge created from extensions of the lid. Inscribed crudely on bottom: "John Sullivan. 1818 / Sacred to his / Memory."; the second two lines have scratch marks through them, and are more heavily worn than the upper line; "Memory" is almost completely worn away, whereas "John Sullivan. 1818" is sharp.

Material:

Metal
Pewter

Dimensions:

H-0.75 W-1.35 L-2.65 inches

Provenance:

Said to have belonged to General John Sullivan (1740-1795). He also had a son John (1767-1819), who may have owned it after his father's death, hence the inscribed date, 1818. He was unmarried and died in Baton Rouge, LA.
Two handwritten notes found inside snuff box in 1986: "Maj. Genl. Jno. Sullivan's Snuff Box / and gold ring of his wifes." and "Silver snuff-box belonging originally / to Gen. Sullivan - the ring enclosed / belonged to his wife."

Credit Line:

Gift of John Sullivan

People:

Sullivan, John (1767-1819), Sullivan, John (1740-1795), Sullivan, John (1840-1908)