Snuff Bottle
1750-1880 (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 | Porcelain, moulded in low relief with a white glaze |
Brief description | Chinese snuff bottle, porcelain moulded in low relief, decoration depicts two cocks and plants, Qing Dynasty; 1750-1880. |
Physical description | The bottle is a cylindrical form, narrower towards the top. It does not have a stopper. It is made of porcelain, moulded in low relief under a white glaze. The relief depicts two cocks and plants. There is a border of a plain band in relief around the bottom of the decoration. The bottle does not have a separate foot and the edge is unglazed. There is a flat glazed indentation underneath. |
Dimensions |
|
Style | |
Object history | Purchased from Dr. S. W. Bushell (Beijing), accessioned in 1883. 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 | 720-1883 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
Record created | August 12, 1998 |
Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest