Tobacco box
third quarter 18th century
Medium
Brass, copper
Dimensions
6 × 1 7/8 × 1 1/4 in. (15.2 × 4.8 × 3.2 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Brass
Culture
German, Iserlohn
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Maxime L. Hermanos, 1986
Accession Number
1987.53
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the world of 18th-century craftsmanship with this exquisite tobacco box by Johann Heinrich Giese, crafted in the third quarter of the century (circa 1760–1770). Hailing from Iserlohn, a center of metalworking in Westphalia, compact brass and copper piece measures just 6 × 1⅞ × 1¼ inches, making it a perfect pocket companion for the era's gentlemen. Now housed in the Metropolitan Museum Art's European Sculpture andative Arts collection, it exemplifies the fine metalwork that put Iserlohn on the map as Europe's "brass capital." Tobacco boxes like this one surged in popularity as snuff...