Opaque white glass snuff bottle with overlays of coloured glass, with glass stopper, China, 1750-1850

The bottle is an oval flattened flask form with shoulders sloping up to a cylindrical neck.
It is made of opaque white glass, with overlays of glass coloured blue, red, green, yellow and white.
Carved in relief are pomegranites, the seeds inside visible through triangular splits in the fruit. On the reverse, peaches and two bats and on one shoulder rocks, on the other finger citron, also known as 'Buddha's hand citron'.
There is a border of palmate leaves around the neck and rocks around the base.
The two-part flat-topped stopper is made of yellow glass and glass coloured pink to imitate rose quartz.
The base is formed by the blue glass overlay and there is a shallow curved indentation underneath without a foot.
The peaches, bats and pomegranites are red to emphasise their auspicious character, the finger citron yellow, its natural colour, and the palmate border on the neck and the rocks on the are shoulder white.
Pomegranites, peaches and finger citron were frequently depicted together to form a group of auspicious symbols known as the 'Three Abundances': of fertility, happiness and longevity (Cammann, 1962, pp. 112-114). The colours and carving of the overlays are harmonious and attractive.

Salting Bequest

Bequeathed by Mr. George Salting, accessioned in 1910. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.

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.

C.1535-1910