Snuff Bottle
1723-1880 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Snuff is powdered tobacco, usually blended with aromatic herbs or spices. The habit of snuff-taking spread to China from the West during the 17th century and became established in the 18th century. People generally carried snuff in a small bottle. By the 20th century these bottles had become collectors' items, owing to the great variety of materials and decorative techniques used in their production.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Coloured and crackled glass and metal |
| Brief description | Snuff bottle, coloured and crackled glass and metal, China, 1723-1880 |
| Physical description | The bottle is a heart-shaped flattened flask form made of white glass imitating jade. The dome-shaped stopper is made from crackled glass which has been coloured green and set in metal. The bottle has a flat base without a foot. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Credit line | Transferred from the Museum of Practical Geography |
| Object history | Transferred from the Museum of Practical Geology (Jermyn Street, London), accessioned in 1901. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. Transferred from the Museum of Practical Geology, Jermyn Street |
| Summary | Snuff is powdered tobacco, usually blended with aromatic herbs or spices. The habit of snuff-taking spread to China from the West during the 17th century and became established in the 18th century. People generally carried snuff in a small bottle. By the 20th century these bottles had become collectors' items, owing to the great variety of materials and decorative techniques used in their production. |
| Bibliographic reference | White, Helen. Snuff Bottles from China. London: Bamboo Publishing Ltd in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1992. 291p., ill. ISBN 1870076109. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 5354A-1901 |
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| Record created | June 10, 1998 |
| Record URL |
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