Bergamot Boxes: Reviving a Forgotten Art—the fragrant peel of citrus fruit.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, artisans fashioned what were known as bergamot boxes: delicate containers made from hollowed citrus rinds, most often bitter orange or bergamot. Once dried and sometimes lined with metal, these aromatic shells served as snuff boxes for finely ground tobacco. The natural oils lingering in the rind subtly perfumed the…