Snuff Bottle
1750-1915 (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, jasper Scu, China, carving, jasper |
Physical description | The bottle is an oval flattened flask form with an angular flat-topped stopper. It is made of jasper, agate and quartz, rich brownish red, with veining of yellow and dark brown and a patch of mottled white quartz; the stopper of white and green jadeite jade. The carved decoration depicts a tall long-leaved plant, probably a lotus. The foot has an indentation underneath. The main decorative interest of the bottle lies in its natural markings, but on the side which is more uniform in colour a carved motif has been added at one side. |
Style | |
Credit line | H. L. Florence Bequest |
Subject 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.1226&A-1917 |
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Record created | August 4, 1998 |
Record URL |
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