Snuff Bottle
1750-1900
| 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 dark brown inclusions |
| Brief description | Scu, China, carving, chalcedony |
| Physical description | The bottle is a globular form, slightly flattened, with a short straight cylindrical neck and no stopper. It is made of chalcedony, grey with dark brown inclusions. It does not have a foot but instead a flat oval base. The shadowy dark brown inclusions form natural decoration. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Credit line | Given by Col. Waldo-Sibthorp |
| Object history | Given by Col. F. R. Waldo-Sibthorp, accessioned in 1902. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
| 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 | 399-1902 |
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| Record created | July 29, 1998 |
| Record URL |
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