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Snuff bottle

Snuff bottle

  • Place of origin:

    China (made)

  • Date:

    1821-1850 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Unknown (production)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    [Snuff bottle] Porcelain with painted decoration and gilding
    [Stopper] Glass coloured pink to imitate rose quartz, and probably ivory

  • Credit Line:

    Given by R. J. Charleston, Esq.

  • Museum number:

    C.18-1966

  • Gallery location:

    On Display

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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

The bottle is an oblong flattened flask form with a two-part dome-shaped stopper.
It is made of porcelain, painted in enamel colours, blue, pink, green, turquoise, red and black and gilded. The stopper is made of glass coloured pink to imitate rose quartz, and what is probably ivory.
The decoration depicts nine of the Eighteen Lohan on each side. Cursory masks and mock ring handles are depicted in blue and gold on the shoulders; gilding around the foot.
The foot, is unglazed at the edge, with glazed curved indentation underneath; Daogong (1821-50) mark in red seal-script.
The Eighteen Lohan were a popular subject for porcelain decoration in the Daoguang period.

Place of Origin

China (made)

Date

1821-1850 (made)

Artist/maker

Unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

[Snuff bottle] Porcelain with painted decoration and gilding
[Stopper] Glass coloured pink to imitate rose quartz, and probably ivory

Dimensions

[Snuff bottle] Height: 6.5 cm

Descriptive line

Chinese snuff bottle, 1821-1850, Qing Dynasty; porcelain with painted decoration depicting nine of the Eighteen Lohan.

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

Porcelain; Glass; Ivory

Techniques

Painting (image-making); Gilding

Subjects depicted

Mask; Buddhism; Lohan

Categories

Containers; Personal accessories; Buddhism

Collection code

EAS

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Qr_O9018
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