Glass, transparent white with overlay of red glass carved in relief, China, ca.19th century

The bottle is a rounded flattened flask form with no stopper.
It is made of glass, transparent white mottled with white flecks, with overlay of red glass carved in relief.
The decoration depicts Zhong Kui, The Demon Queller, attended by a bat on a cloud of vapour rising from a bottle gourd. On the reverse there are eight emblems including peach growing from a basket hung on a stand, Buddha's hand citron, a gold ingot, a bronze tripod vessel, coral and a ruyi sceptre.
The high straight foot is mainly formed by the overlay and there is an angular indentaion underneath.
Zhong Kui, a figure of popular folklore, is much celebrated on the day of the Dragon Boat Race. He is shown on another glass bottle in the collection, C.1652-1910, reclining in a dragon boat.

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.1560-1910