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Combining beauty and functionality, this finely carved wooden snuff container is adorned with twisted strands of colorful glass beads. Once an object of status, it signaled the wealth and taste of its owner. Its general shape and the parallel ridges appear to be the skillful imitation of a fruit. Throughout southern Africa and elsewhere on the continent, smoking tobacco and taking snuff are enjoyed as activities that enhance positive social relationships. Both men and women wore these personal and portable objects attached to cloaks, carried in bags, or adorning the neck, arm, or waist.

Page data

Page
1
Source index
0
Type
photo
Media ID
ccef6c193aae4aba
Size
unknown

Document data

ID
168422
Core
obj
Type
object
DTO data
{
    "id": "168422",
    "contentType": "object",
    "title": "Snuff Container",
    "description": "Combining beauty and functionality, this finely carved wooden snuff container is adorned with twisted strands of colorful glass beads. Once an object of status, it signaled the wealth and taste of its owner. Its general shape and the parallel ridges appear to be the skillful imitation of a fruit. Throughout southern Africa and elsewhere on the continent, smoking tobacco and taking snuff are enjoyed as activities that enhance positive social relationships. Both men and women wore these personal and portable objects attached to cloaks, carried in bags, or adorning the neck, arm, or waist.",
    "date": "1800s–1900s",
    "citation": "https://clevelandart.org/art/2010.201",
    "rights": "CC0",
    "rightsUri": "CC0",
    "language": "en",
    "wikidata": [
        "Q60779398"
    ],
    "genreSpecific": [
        "Vessels"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2010.201/2010.201_web.jpg",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2010.201/2010.201_web.jpg",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2010.201/2010.201_web.jpg",
    "imageCount": 1,
    "source": "import",
    "dimensionsRaw": "Overall: 20.3 cm (8 in.)",
    "cul": [
        "Africa, Southern Africa, South Africa, Northern Nguni-style maker"
    ],
    "accession": "2010.201"
}

Context sent to Scholar

Document identity
{
    "localId": "168422",
    "label": "Snuff Container",
    "core": "obj",
    "dtoType": "object"
}
Document source metadata
{
    "id": "168422",
    "contentType": "object",
    "title": "Snuff Container",
    "description": "Combining beauty and functionality, this finely carved wooden snuff container is adorned with twisted strands of colorful glass beads. Once an object of status, it signaled the wealth and taste of its owner. Its general shape and the parallel ridges appear to be the skillful imitation of a fruit. Throughout southern Africa and elsewhere on the continent, smoking tobacco and taking snuff are enjoyed as activities that enhance positive social relationships. Both men and women wore these personal and portable objects attached to cloaks, carried in bags, or adorning the neck, arm, or waist.",
    "date": "1800s–1900s",
    "citation": "https://clevelandart.org/art/2010.201",
    "rights": "CC0",
    "rightsUri": "CC0",
    "language": "en",
    "wikidata": [
        "Q60779398"
    ],
    "genreSpecific": [
        "Vessels"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2010.201/2010.201_web.jpg",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2010.201/2010.201_web.jpg",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2010.201/2010.201_web.jpg",
    "imageCount": 1,
    "source": "import",
    "dimensionsRaw": "Overall: 20.3 cm (8 in.)",
    "cul": [
        "Africa, Southern Africa, South Africa, Northern Nguni-style maker"
    ],
    "accession": "2010.201"
}
Document source extras
{
    "tec": "Wood, glass beads, shell, and cotton",
    "tombstone": "Snuff Container, 1800s–1900s. Africa, Southern Africa, South Africa, Northern Nguni-style maker. Wood, glass beads, shell, and cotton; overall: 20.3 cm (8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund, 2010.201",
    "collection": "African Art",
    "didYouKnow": "A man likely made the wooden container while a woman likely made the beaded attachment.",
    "citations": [
        {
            "citation": "Pemberton, John, III. African Beaded Art: Power and Adornment, exh. cat. Northampton, Massachusetts: Smith College Museum of Art, 2008, cat. 93"
        },
        {
            "citation": "Petridis, Constatine. \"The Art of Daily Life: Portable Objects from Southeast Africa. \" Tribal Art. (Summer 2011). Pg. 66, Fig. 1."
        }
    ],
    "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/2010.201",
    "creditline": "Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund",
    "updatedAt": "2026-05-29 08:39:42.494000",
    "imageUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2010.201/2010.201_print.jpg",
    "sourceId": 168422,
    "dept": "African Art",
    "coll": "African Art",
    "med": "Wood, glass beads, shell, and cotton",
    "thumbnail_url": null,
    "image_url": null
}
Page context
{
    "seq": 1,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
    "url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2010.201/2010.201_web.jpg",
    "mediaId": "ccef6c193aae4aba"
}