Pipe Tobacco Tin, Niemeyer Voortrekker, Groningen, c. 1960

A Dutch pipe tobacco tin by Theodorus Niemeyer N.V. of Groningen, for the Voortrekker blend, dating from around 1960. The cylindrical tin has an olive green exterior with an all-round printed decoration in yellow and green: tobacco trade figures in historical costume, an indigenous figure with feathered headdress, Gouda pipes, tobacco rolls and a Delftware pot. The lid is embossed in relief with the brand name and Niemeyer logo. The tin shows signs of use and some rust to the lid; the exterior is well preserved.

Niemeyer was founded in 1819 and grew into one of the best-known Dutch tobacco brands. Voortrekker was one of their standard pipe tobacco blends, composed of eighteen tobacco varieties from around the world, with Maryland tobacco from America as its base. The name Voortrekker refers to the Boer pioneers of the nineteenth century, an association that reflects the colonial trading history of the Dutch tobacco industry. Tins like this were produced in large quantities, but use and time have made them increasingly scarce.