Snuff Bottle
1796-1850 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
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.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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Brief description | Chinese snuff bottle, 1796-1850, Qing dynasty; copper with cloisonné enamel decoration depicting an Ogre mask. |
Physical description | The bottle is a flattened ovoid form; the neck-hole is wide in relation to the size of the bottle. It has a dome-shaped stopper. It is made of copper with cloisonné enamel decoration in blue, green, red, yellow and white; stopper of opaque glass in imitation of coral set in metal. The decoration depicts an Ogre mask with the character 'wang', 'king', in blue between the eyes; the same design is on the reverse with variation in the colours used, the character 'wang being in red; lappet motif around the neck. High foot on exposed copper ring with high indentation underneath. |
Style | |
Credit line | Given by H. H. Joseph, Esq. |
Subjects depicted | |
Summary | 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. |
Collection | |
Accession number | M.16-1918 |
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Record created | September 26, 1998 |
Record URL |
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