Snuff Bottle
1750-1895 (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
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Object type | |
Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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Brief description | Scu, China, carving, chalcedony Scu, China, carving, chalcedony |
Physical description | The bottle is an oblong flattened flask form with a three-part stopper. It is made of chalcedony, grey and tawny yellow with brown inclusions, with decoration carved in relief. The stopper is of white glass, lapis lazuli and coral. The decoration depicts a bearded man sitting beside water holding a peach in his hand; beneath a willow tree is a jar, a fan and a bottle gourd with a cloud of vapour. On the reverse there is a man holding a bottle gourd on a round tray in a landscape of rocks, water, willow and pine. The high curved foot has a shallow indentation underneath. The decoration may represent episodes in the story of Li Tieguai, the Immortal who is particularly associated with the bottle gourd. The yellow shading and brown inclusions in the stone are used in the design and influence the placing of the carved decoration. |
Dimensions |
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Style | |
Credit line | Salting Bequest |
Object history | 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. |
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 | C.1783&A-1910 |
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Record created | July 21, 1998 |
Record URL |
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