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
Categories | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Chalcedony, with decoration carved in relief and a stopper of coloured glass |
Brief description | Scu, China, carving, chalcedony |
Physical description | The bottle is a flattened flask form with a three-part dome-shaped stopper with finial. It is made of chalcedony, pale honey colour with one dark brown inclusion, with decoration carved in relief. The stopper is of yellow glass, glass coloured green to imitate jade, and glass or quartz coloured pink. The carving depicts a dog and bird. There is a second bird with outstretched wings on reverse shoulder. The curved foot has a gently carved indentation underneath. The body of the bird on reverse shoulder is formed by the brown inclusion in the chalcedony. |
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.1816-1910 |
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Record created | July 23, 1998 |
Record URL |
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