Scu, China, carving, quartz

Scu, China, carving, quartz

The bottle is in the form of a peach, with a particularly wide neck-hole. The stopper is dome-shaped, with a hole for a missing finial.
The bottle is amde of quartz and chalcedony, white with brown and orange inclusions, with carved decoration; the stopper of carved coral.
The carving depicts a fish standing on its tail, surrounded by a border of waves. On the reverse there is a bat, clouds and a character enclosed by a border of waves; the stopper is carved with a chi dragon.
There is no foot and the bottle does not stand up on its own.
The inclusions determine the placing of the carved decoration; the waves follow the lines of the orange inclusions, and the bat is carved from an orange-red inclusion, reinforcing its auspicious character.

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.1718-1910