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Snuff bottle

Snuff bottle

  • Place of origin:

    China (made)

  • Date:

    1800-1895 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Unknown (production)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    [Snuff bottle] Smoky quartz with tourmaline inclusions
    [Stopper] Jadeite jade set in metal

  • Credit Line:

    Salting Bequest

  • Museum number:

    C.1873&A-1910

  • Gallery location:

    In Storage

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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.

Physical description

[Snuff bottle] The bottle is an oblong flattened flask form.
It is made of smoky quartz with black needle-like inclusions of tourmaline.
The high foot has an angular indentation underneath.
The decorative quality of the bottle lies in the delicate natural colour and markings of the stone. The oblong shape suggests a nineteenth date.
[Stopper] A flat-topped stopper. made of green jadeite jade set in metal.
It is well suited to the bottle and was perhaps made specifically for it.

Place of Origin

China (made)

Date

1800-1895 (made)

Artist/maker

Unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

[Snuff bottle] Smoky quartz with tourmaline inclusions
[Stopper] Jadeite jade set in metal

Dimensions

[Snuff bottle] Height: 6.2 cm

Descriptive line

Chinese snuff bottle, quart and jadeite jade, oblong flattened flask form, Qing Dynasty; 1800-1895.

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

White, Helen. Snuff Bottles from China. London: Bamboo Publishing Ltd in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1992. 291p., ill. ISBN 1870076109.

Materials

Metal; Jade; Quartz; Tourmaline

Categories

Containers; Personal accessories

Collection code

EAS

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Qr_O8760
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