Chinese snuff bottle, carved quartz with inclusions of chalcedony and agate, depicting a cormorant fisherman; 1750-1909.

The bottle is pebble shaped and it does not have a stopper.
It is made of quartz with large inclusions of chalcedony and agate, with carved decoration.
The carving depicts a cormorant fisherman and his birds in a boat being carried along on the back of a grotesque fish-like creature with a smaller fish beside it. On the reverse there is a sleeping bird.
The bottle does not have a foot but stands upright on a fairly flat base.
The bottle is probably formed from a natural pebble.
The decoration is an uneasy combination of natural and carved, with the area of chalcedony used for the fish monsters, and the sleeping bird carved from an area of quartz enclosed by swirls of agate.

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.1775-1910