What are most antique snuff boxes made of?

Wood dominates. Treen appears in 107 of 598 titles, turned, carved or inlaid, with fruitwood, mahogany, burr walnut, birch and boxwood the woods named most often. The rest spread widely: horn, brass, copper, pewter, papier mâché, tortoiseshell, enamel on copper, agate, silver and gold. Odder materials have come through too, including cowrie shell, abalone, mother of pearl, pony skin, lead and shellac sealing wax.

Why are so many snuff boxes shaped like shoes?

The shoe is the category's signature novelty. Some 73 titles describe one, roughly one in eight listings. They turn up in mahogany, fruitwood, pewter, papier mâché, leather and pine. The archive has them singly, in pairs, and as double-opening examples, along with boots and clogs.

What is a Scottish mull?

A mull is a snuff container made from a horn, usually ram's, cow's or stag's, and often mounted in silver or pewter. Mull appears in 18 titles and Scottish in 38. Horn more broadly covers 38, taking in pressed horn love tokens, staghorn and buffalo horn.

How precisely are these boxes dated?

Broadly. 324 listings give only "19th Century" and 67 only "18th Century", with reign labels such as Georgian and Victorian filling much of the remainder. Just 55 of 598 carry a clean year. Some dealers narrow things in the title instead, with c1840, c1820 and phrasing like C1840-60 recurring.

Are snuff boxes signed by known makers?

Names are not a feature of this category. No maker runs through it as a recognisable presence. What listings record instead is the owner. Dealers put names and years into titles, and 19 titles contain "dated" with 13 "engraved".

How often do snuff boxes come up for sale?

Around 69 are listed on Sellingantiques in a year. 87 different dealers have handled them, so the category is spread widely rather than held by a few specialists. Origins named in titles are mostly English and Scottish, with French, Dutch, German, Russian, Swiss, Austrian, Scandinavian and Chinese examples appearing occasionally.