semi-opaque white glass snuff bottle with stopper, with an overlay of red glass carved in relief, China, 1750-1895

The bottle is an oval flattened flask form with wide neck hole.
It is made of semi-opaque white glass suffused with bubbles, with an overlay of red glass carved in relief. The irregular dome-shaped stopper is made of green and white jadeite jade set in metal.
The decoration depicts a pavilion in a rocky place with pine and magic fungus, with a man sitting, perhaps reading. On the reverse there is a boy on a buffalo, playing a pipe, crossing a bridge over water. A pine tree grows from a rock on one shoulder of the bottle and spreads across both sides; on the other shoulder is a banana plant.
The high straight foot is formed by overlay, with high angular indentation.

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.1664&A-1910