Snuff Bottle
1760-1840 (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.
|
Materials and techniques | Nephrite jade with decoration carved in low relief |
Brief description | Scu, China, carving, jade Display box, without lid, broken into two parts. The bottom of the box is marked 'b', although there is no 'a'.; Scu, China, carving, jade |
Physical description | The bottle is a heart-shaped flattened flask form with no stopper. It is made of nephrite jade, greyish white, with decoration carved in low relief. There is a formal floral decoration on each side and foliage on the shoulders. The shape of this bottle is somewhat similar to that of the rock crystal bottle, C.1628-1910 which dates from the Daoguang period (1821-1850). The bottle has no foot and a flat base. |
Dimensions |
|
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.1601&B-1910 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
Record created | July 20, 1998 |
Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest