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 | |
| 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 rounded flattened flask form with a two-part dome-shaped stopper. It is made of chalcedony, brown with creamy white skin, with decoration carved in relief. The stopper is made of coral carved in relief and yellow glass. The carving depicts a bearded man on a mule and his attendant crossing a bridge; prunus in blossom, rocks and a cloud. The stopper is carved with a chi dragon. The low foot has a high angular indentation underneath. The skin is carved to form the main subject matter, the background material being carved only to depict rocks and a cloud; the reverse of the bottle is left plain. |
| 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.1795&A-1910 |
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| Record created | July 23, 1998 |
| Record URL |
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