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 a rounded flattened flask form, curving to a narrow base. The stopper is a flattened dome shape. It is made of chalcedony, mushroom colour with dark brown inclusions, with decoration carved in very low relief. The stopper of green and white jadeite set in metal. The carving depicts a butterfly and flowering plant. There is a butterfly, bee and another winged insect on the reverse. The bottle has a small oval base, with slight curved indentation underneath and no foot. The brown inclusions are used in the depiction of the insects. |
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.1792&A-1910 |
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Record created | July 22, 1998 |
Record URL |
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