Snuff Bottle
1750-1895 (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
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Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Transparent glass, thickly flecked with white, with an overlay of red glass, carved in relief |
Brief description | Transparent glass snuff bottle, thickly flecked with white, with an overlay of red glass, China, 1750-1895 |
Physical description | The bottle is an oval flattened flask form without a stopper. It is made of transparent glass, thickly flecked with white, with an overlay of red glass carved in relief. The decoration depicts Zhong Kui, the Demon Queller, being rowed in a dragon boat by a monkey-like demon. On the reverse, his attendant demons doing tricks to entertain him, two standing, the third supported on their shoulders forming a bridge with its body, and the fourth astride the third, playing a pipe; pine, bamboo and magic fungus growing from rocks. The low foot formed by overlay with an angular indentation underneath. Zhong Kui is particularly associated with the number five, since he is believed to be able to quell the five noxious creatures on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar. In South China, dragon boat festivals are held on the same day. Zhong Kui is here shown with five docile demons, and sitting in a dragon boat, which differs from the more usual modern depiction of him wielding a sword to dispel evil spirits. |
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Style | |
Credit line | Salting Bequest |
Object history | 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. |
Subjects depicted | |
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 | C.1652-1910 |
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Record created | June 19, 1998 |
Record URL |
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