Snuff Bottle
1750-1900 (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.
|
Materials and techniques | |
Brief description | Glass snuff bottle with an overlay of red glass, incised and carved decoration, with an amethyst stopper, China, ca.19th century |
Physical description | The object is a bottle gourd form made of glass, transparent mottled with white flecks; with overlay of red glass trailed and incised to form the decoration The stopper is an irregular dome-shaped of amethyst or purple glass set in metal. The surface of the double gourd is decorated with a trailing stem bearing bottle gourds and leaves; around the waist is a ridged band of red overlay. The bottle does not have a foot but is instead supported like a tripod on three of the overlay bottle gourds. |
Dimensions |
|
Style | |
Credit line | Boone Bequest |
Object history | Bequeathed by Mr. Thomas Boone, per Mrs. Temple, accessioned in 1903. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
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. |
Bibliographic reference | White, Helen. Snuff Bottles from China. London: Bamboo Publishing Ltd in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1992. 291p., ill. ISBN 1870076109. |
Collection | |
Accession number | 924&A-1903 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
Record created | June 18, 1998 |
Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest