Untitled
Category
Wooden objects
Date
c. 1800 - c. 1900
Materials
Mahogany, Metal, Oak
Measurements
32 x 36 x 89 mm
Order this imageCollection
Llanerchaeron, Ceredigion
NT 549451
Caption
The term memento mori – Latin for ‘remember you must die’ – describes items that used imagery such as skulls, timepieces or wilting flowers in art and architecture to remind observers of their mortality and the inevitability of death. The idea had its roots in classical antiquity but increased in popularity from the 17th century onwards. This oak, coffin-shaped box was given to Llanerchaeron by Pamela Ward (1908–94), an antiques collector and dealer. It opens via a hinged pin to reveal the interior compartment, and would have been used to hold snuff (finely ground tobacco leaves). The practice of taking snuff became popular in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries. By the 18th century its harmful effects were beginning to be realised, but snuff nevertheless remained popular throughout the 19th century. The coffin shape draws on the imagery of memento mori, and may have been a tongue-in-cheek reminder of the perils of snuff use. Other similar examples even feature a second drawer containing a tiny skeleton.
Summary
An oak coffin-shaped box with mahogany lid. Lid with diagonal split, and hinged around pin. Metal studs nailed around edges of coffin and lid. Handwritten note, inscribed: 'Snuff 10/- oak base'. Also handwritten sticker: '2 marks on lid not from cigarette but from use snuff oak...'.
Provenance
An item from the Pamela Ward Collection, left to the National Trust in the will of Miss Ward in 1994
Marks and inscriptions
2 marks on lid not from cigarette but from use snuff oak... (sticker)