Snuff bottle, rock crystal, the decoration depicts a scene from the ballet The White Haired Girl', China, ca.1970

Snuff bottle of rock crystal, painted on the inside. Coral stopper.

Decoration is derived from one of the few ballets officially sanctioned by the Cultural Revolution. It is an example of the way some traditional crafts were fostered as patriotic activities and allowed to continue within the prevailing ideology. The continued production of snuff bottles in a Communist ideological context is particularly interesting, since they might have been expected to stand as a cipher for the luxury and decadence of the Qing dynasty, or for the subjection of Chinese crafts to Western imperialist influences. The stopper may have come from inner-Asia, perhaps Tibet.

'Fine Chinese Snuffbottles' Sotheby's 11th October 1974, lot 83: 'Fine Chinese Snuff Bottles including the Collection of Eric Young III'Sotheby's 24th April 1989, lot 146

Peking or Shandong, CHINA

Snuff is powdered tobacco, usually blended with aromatic herbs or spices. The habit of snuff-taking spread to China from Europe 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.

FE.10&A-1989