Please complete the form to email this item.

Snuff bottle

Snuff bottle

  • Place of origin:

    China (made)

  • Date:

    1750-1880 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    unknown (production)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Transparent glass with overlay of pale red glass carved in relief

  • Credit Line:

    Salting Bequest

  • Museum number:

    C.1565-1910

  • Gallery location:

    In store

  • Download image

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.

Physical description

The bottle is an elongated flattened pear form with no stopper.
It is made of transparent glass with overlay of pale red glass carved in relief.
The decoration depicts one large, one medium-sized and two small fish in water amidst weeds with a lotus leaf, a flower and a pod. Near the neck is a wavy line to represent the surface of the water.
The high foot is formed by a ring of red glass overlay.
This bottle is comparable with C.1567-1910 and 438-1880 in terms of its materials and shape, but the carving is of better quality. The overlay decoration forms a continuous design around the bottle.

Place of Origin

China (made)

Date

1750-1880 (made)

Artist/maker

unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

Transparent glass with overlay of pale red glass carved in relief

Dimensions

Height: 8.7 cm

Descriptive line

Transparent glass snuff bottle, with overlay of pale red glass carved in relief, China, 1750-1880

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

White, Helen. Snuff Bottles from China. London: Bamboo Publishing Ltd in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1992. 291p., ill. ISBN 1870076109.

Materials

Glass

Techniques

Carving

Subjects depicted

Fish; Lotus

Categories

Containers; Personal accessories; Glass

Collection code

FEC

Download image
Qr_O8040
Ajax-loader