Cer, China, Qing, glass

The bottle is a large flattened pear form with no stopper.
It is made of glass, opaque white, with overlay of red glass carved in low relief.
The decoration depicts two boys, one climbing a wutong tree and holding a lotus plant. There is also an enclosed two-character seal 'Ziyun'.
On the reverse the carving depicts the alchemist Zhang Qian in his log raft. On one shoulder there are two bats and on the other a pavilion amid clouds.
The high foot is partly formed by red overlay, with indentation underneath.
It is an unusually large example of a seal-type bottle. The neck rim lacks the conventional flat surface on which the stopper would sit. The Chinese word for lotus, lian, is a homonym for that meaning 'successive', so the side of the bottle illustrated conveys a wish for many sons.

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.1570-1910