Snuff Bottle with European Figures (Cleveland Museum of Art 1991.126)
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1736–95
Snuff bottles were introduced from Europe to China around the 1700s to hold portable snuff or medicine. Cleveland Museum of Art object 1991.126: Snuff Bottle with European Figures (鼻煙壺), 1736–95.
China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911), Qianlong mark and reign (1736-95). Painted enamel on copper; overall: 7.4 cm (2 15/16 in.). Inscribed: 乾隆年製 (Qianlong nian zhi (Made in the reign of Qianlong)). Details are those of this museum object; how far it represents a wider type has not been independently verified.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 3
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
The stopper is decorated with bats, which traditionally symbolize good luck, since both words (蝠 and 福) are both pronounced as fu in Chinese.
Physical characteristics
- Materials
- painted enamel on copper
- Dimensions
- Overall: 7.4 cm (2 15/16 in.)
- Measurements
- Overall: 7.4 cm (2 15/16 in.)
- Material and technique
- painted enamel on copper
Design
- Inscription
- 乾隆年製 (Qianlong nian zhi (Made in the reign of Qianlong))
Identification
- Date recorded
- 1736–95
- Culture period
- China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911), Qianlong mark and reign (1736-95)
- Holding institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Museum object number
- 1991.126
- Published references
- Turner, Evan H. “The Year in Review for 1992.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art , vol. 80, no. 2, 1993, pp. 38–79. Mentioned: p. 79, no. 437 Von Spee, Clarissa. "Art In New Dimensions: Chinese Miniature and Small Objects at the Cleveland Museum of Art." Arts of Asia 52, no. 4 (Winter 2022): 117-121. Mentioned and reproduced: p. 121, fig. 11 Von Spee, Clarissa. “China through the Magnifying Glass: Miniature and small objects in detail.” Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine vol. 62, no. 4 (December 2022): 14-16. Reproduced: P. 15; Mentioned: P. 16.
- Museum classification
- Enamel
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: this record describes a single museum object; confirm workshop, material and date against decorative-arts references.