Types of Composite Objects and Materials
Quite often wealthy people would commission works of art. When this was the case, the person buying the object could specify what kinds of materials they wanted to be used. The wealthier the buyer, the more expensive the materials could be. The finished object would show people how important and wealthy the owner was.
Snuff boxes were a very good way of showing off wealth as taking snuff was all about show. There were rules for how to take snuff (involving sniffing and spitting and other unpleasant things) and the fashion for taking snuff meant that snuff boxes became very popular. The most fashionable and wealthy people would have a big collection of snuff boxes, and would rarely be seen with the same box more than once. Gold boxes were often decorated with other materials to suit the latest fashion. This snuff box is covered with enamel and made to look like a white peacock’s tail.