Two spittoons, anonymous, c. 1715 - c. 1725
muffle kiln, h c.8.9cm × d c.12.4cm More details
The use of tobacco became extremely popular in the 18th century. Whether chewed or smoked, it produced juices in the mouth that were disposed of in specially designed receptacle called spittoons (also known as cuspidors, derived from the Portuguese word for ‘spitter’). These examples are appropriately decorated with scenes from the tobacco harvest. Enslaved men pick tobacco leaves, while plantation owners sit together smoking, with a few spittoons before them on the table.
