Chinese snuff bottle, 1662-1722, Qing dynasty; porcelain, with painted decoration in underglaze blue depicting three lions playing with a ball.

The bottle is a cylindrical form, with a short splayed neck and no stopper.
It is made of porcelain, painted in underglaze blue on a crackled white ground.
The decoration depicts three lions playing with a brocaded ball, amid clouds and flames. It is enclosed by one line at the base and two at the neck. Around the neck the character for three, san, appears three times, enclosed by the a further line at the top.
The low receding foot has an indentation underneath.

Andrew Burman Gift

Given by Mr. Andrew Burman, accessioned in 1907. 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.

830-1907