Chinese snuff bottle, lapis lazuli and coral, in the form of flattened flask, Qing Dynasty; 1850-1895.

The bottle is a rounded flattened flask form with sloping shoulders, curving to a narrow base It has a slightly flared neck with a dome-shaped stopper. The stopper has a deep curved mount.
The bottle is made of lapis lazuli, with patches of grey and flecks of gold.
the stopper is of coral set in gilded metal and the mount has close-set diagonal lines.
The base is flat with indentation underneath.
The decorative appeal lies in the shape, and in the natural markings of the stone. The coral bead glued into the metal mount to form the stopper does not fit well and the stopper looks rather shoddy.
A heavy bottle in relation to its size.

Salting Bequest

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.

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.

C.1594-1910