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Snuff bottle

Snuff bottle

  • Place of origin:

    China (made)

  • Date:

    1750-1850 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Unknown (production)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    White, semi-opaque glass with an overlay of red glass carved in relief, with green glass stopper

  • Credit Line:

    Salting Bequest

  • Museum number:

    C.1576-1910

  • Gallery location:

    In Storage

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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 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.

Place of Origin

China (made)

Date

1750-1850 (made)

Artist/maker

Unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

White, semi-opaque glass with an overlay of red glass carved in relief, with green glass stopper

Dimensions

Height: 8.7 cm

Descriptive line

white, semi-opaque glass snuff bottle and stopper, with an overlay of red glass carved in relief, China, 1750-1850

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

Dragon

Categories

Containers; Personal accessories; Glass

Collection code

EAS

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Qr_O8112
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