18th-century brown glass double-gourd snuff bottle
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
18th Century
This snuff bottle, dating to the 18th century, is crafted from translucent brown glass with a deep, subtle luster. The vessel is designed in the traditional double-gourd form, a shape highly regarded in Chinese culture for its auspicious symbolism; the word for gourd sounds similar to 'fortune and rank' (fulu), and its many seeds are associated with fertility and a thriving lineage.
The bottle features a small, straight mouth leading to two rounded, swelling lobes constricted at the waist, and is supported by an oval-shaped foot rim. The exterior is entirely unadorned, relying solely on its elegant, full-bodied proportions and the refined quality of the glass to achieve a sense of natural grace. This piece demonstrates a minimalist aesthetic, emphasizing pure form and material clarity over complex ornamentation.
The bottle measures 5.8 cm in height and is a notable example of monochromatic glass artistry from the period. It has been documented in the publication 'Cuntian Lidi Jian: Zhongguo biyanhu de yishu' by Dai Zhongren (1998).
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Height
- 5.8 cm
- Material
- glass
Technical characteristics
- Form
- double-gourd
Design
- Shape
- double-gourd
- Surface
- plain
Identification
- Source note
- Described from a single auction-house listing published on Invaluable (reproduced with Invaluable's permission). Details apply to that one example; other examples of the type may differ, and the listing is supplementary evidence, not authentication.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.