Glass snuff bottle with an overlay of red glass, incised and carved decoration, with an amethyst stopper, China, ca.19th century

The object is a bottle gourd form made of glass, transparent mottled with white flecks; with overlay of red glass trailed and incised to form the decoration The stopper is an irregular dome-shaped of amethyst or purple glass set in metal.
The surface of the double gourd is decorated with a trailing stem bearing bottle gourds and leaves; around the waist is a ridged band of red overlay.
The bottle does not have a foot but is instead supported like a tripod on three of the overlay bottle gourds.

Boone Bequest

Bequeathed by Mr. Thomas Boone, per Mrs. Temple, accessioned in 1903. 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.

924&A-1903