Scottish Silver: Table Snuff Mulls and Their Unique Designs
Scottish silver has long been admired for its skill and imagination, and among its most striking objects are table snuff mulls. Unlike the small portable versions carried by individuals, these were designed to sit on a table, often in a gentleman’s study, and to be used and admired as much for their appearance as for their function.
Some of the most interesting table mulls were made using horn, shaped into a vessel and mounted in silver. These pieces were stationary, often placed prominently, and the combination of horn and silver created a warm, natural look. The silver mounts were frequently engraved or embellished with simple decoration, allowing the quality of the materials themselves to stand out.
Even more extraordinary are the snuff mulls made from real rams heads. These were taxidermy pieces mounted with silver, with a large citrine set in the centre of the head. The stone covers the lid to the inserted snuff pot, creating a dramatic focal point that draws the eye. These mulls are as much sculptural objects as they are functional, a testament to the creativity and skill of Scottish silversmiths.
Antique 19th Century Victorian silver mounted ram’s head snuff mull, the head is fitted with a silver compartment for snuff, chased with thistles and centred by a facetted oval crystal, nose applied with the winners badge of the Christmas Show 1874, the horns set with silver thistle terminals and with silver implements suspended from chains, on a silver caster.
Reference Number: A9956
Antique 19th Century rare Scottish very large table snuff mull. The name "mull" is dialect for "mill" and some snuff mulls featured divices for smashing snuff, this typical scotish design from the 1870's has been fashioned from a cows horn and decoarted with silver mounts and translusent banded agate. Snuff mulls are often never hallmarked, this piece is solid silver which has been acid tested and shows to be 925 standard.
Reference Number: B7592
Many pieces also incorporate agate or other semi-precious stones, set into mounts or finials, adding colour and contrast to the silver and horn. The designs remain bold yet restrained, allowing the natural forms of the materials to shine.
Table snuff mulls like these were not merely practical; they were objects meant to be admired, a combination of careful workmanship, unusual materials, and playful imagination. Today they are treasured by collectors for their originality and the glimpse they offer into the tastes and pastimes of eighteenth and nineteenth century Scotland.