Snuff Bottle
1750-1865 (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, agate Scu, China, carving, agate |
| Physical description | The bottle is a flattened flask form with a dome-shaped stopper. It is made of agate, of the type sometimes known as 'macaroni' agate, grey, brown, cream and white. The stopper is made of green jade set in metal. The curved foot has an indentation underneath. The decorative quality of the bottle is provided by the natural markings of the stone. Transferred in 1901 from the Museum of Practical Geology, which had acquired it in 1865, when it was described as already 'broken and the two parts cemented together'. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Credit line | Transferred from the Museum of Practical Geology |
| Object history | Transferred from the Museum of Practical Geology (Jermyn Street, London), accessioned in 1901. 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 | 5532-1901 |
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| Record created | July 30, 1998 |
| Record URL |
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