“Portraits in a Nutshell: The Art and History of Coquilla Nut Snuff Boxes and Bottles by Donna S. Sanzone (June 20th, Brandeis University Press, 256 pp.). This unusual work doesn’t just chronicle how the once-popular sniffing powder was stored; it shines a light on the generations of Africans — many enslaved in Brazil — who crafted the containers.”
—Washington Independent Review of Books, June 3, 2025

“Richly illustrated, this beautiful volume brings to light for the first time a fascinating and intriguing collection of dozens of snuff boxes and bottles, showing that even small vessels conceived for tobacco storage and consumption embodied the wealth of African, Native American, and European cultures during the era of the Atlantic slave trade.”
—Ana Lucia Araujo, author of Humans in Shackles: An Atlantic History of Slavery

“Portraits in a Nutshell is a pioneering and revelatory work that uncovers the meaning and ramifications of seemingly humble artifacts, long misunderstood as vestiges of European trade and tobacco use. David Badger chanced upon one, and then sought others. As his collection grew, he “listened” to these objects and began to suspect they had stories to tell that were not solely European. His quest has revealed a uniquely Black Atlantic artform expressive of the artistry and perspective of enslaved artisans, those who had no voice in their fate. These coquilla nut-carved vessels speak resoundingly of the power of material culture to testify for those who, in their own time, could not. Bravo to David Badger for listening to them whisper, and giving them the chance to roar.”
—Leslie Greene Bowman, President Emerita, Thomas Jefferson's Monticello

“The material is fascinating, the images are wonderful, and the author has done considerable research on Africans in Brazil and relations between Brazil and Africa.”
—Stuart Schwartz, George Burton Adams Professor of History; Chair, Council on Latin American & Iberian Studies, Yale University

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