Chinese inside-painted 'Landscape' glass snuff bottle by Chen Zhongsan, 1909

This elegant Chinese snuff bottle is crafted from clear glass and features the refined technique of inside-painting, where the artist applies intricate detail to the interior surfaces of the vessel.

The bottle is of a compressed form and depicts a continuous, detailed landscape scene. On one side, the decoration captures a mountain village inn awakening at dawn. The reverse side illustrates a merchant leading a team of two donkeys across a plank bridge, heading towards a distant gateway over a roadway. The artwork is signed and includes an artist's seal, with inscriptions confirming the date as the Ji You year, corresponding to 1909.

The bottle is finished with a red stopper, which complements the delicate palette of the painted landscape. Measuring 5.9 cm in height without the stopper, this piece exemplifies the high level of technical skill characteristic of early 20th-century inside-painted snuff bottles. The work is attributed to the well-known artist Chen Zhongsan (1885-1957), representing a classic example of traditional Chinese miniature art designed for the practical storage of snuff while serving as a sophisticated decorative object.