Snuff Bottle
1750-1900 (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
Categories | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Carved agate, with banding of white, grey and light brown |
Brief description | Scu, China, carving, agate |
Physical description | The bottle is a flattened disc form without a stopper. It is made of agate, with banding of white, grey and light brown. The high faceted foot is solid underneath. The decorative quality of the bottle lies in the natural markings of the stone. The bottle is very flattened so that the neck is considerably wider than it is deep. |
Dimensions |
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Style | |
Credit line | Boone Bequest |
Object history | Bequeathed by Mr. Thomas Boone, per Mrs. Temple (24 Ulster Place, Regents Park.), accessioned in 1903. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
Subject 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 | 930-1903 |
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Record created | July 30, 1998 |
Record URL |
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