Snuff Bottle
1750-1850 (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 | |
Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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Materials and techniques | White, semi-opaque glass with an overlay of red glass carved in relief, with green glass stopper |
Brief description | white, semi-opaque glass snuff bottle and stopper, with an overlay of red glass carved in relief, China, 1750-1850 |
Physical description | The bottle is a gourd form, the lower section square, the upper half bulbous, with a slightly splayed neckrim. It is made of white, semi-opaque glass with an overlay of red glass carved in relief. The flat-topped stopper is made of green glass. The decoration on the lower section depicts a dragon on each of the four sides; the upper section has a dragon and a shou, ('long life') character; there is a band of red overlay around the waist and neck rim. The splayed foot is partly formed by overlay, with angular indentation underneath. The carving is of good quality and the shape unusual; it may be somewhat earlier than the mass of overlay bottles. |
Dimensions |
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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.1576-1910 |
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Record created | June 29, 1998 |
Record URL |
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