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 | |
Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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Brief description | Scu, China, carving, chalcedony Scu, China, carving, chalcedony |
Physical description | The bottle is a flattened flask form, rectangular with curved corners. It has a two-part stopper, flat with a finial. The bottle is made of chalcedony, pale grey with dark brown inclusions and carved decoration. The stopper is of lapis lazuli and coral. The decoration depicts a boy standing amid rocks holding a three-legged toad and a string of coins. Also shown are a dog and a bird. On the reverse there are rocks, magic fungus, a pine tree and an inscription (a line of poetry). The bottle does not have a foot but instead a flat base. The boy with the toad and string of coins is Liu Hai, a wealth symbol; pine, magic fungus and rocks convey a wish for long life. |
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.1750&A-1910 |
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Record created | July 20, 1998 |
Record URL |
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