Transparent glass snuff bottle with applied enamel decoration, China, 1750-1850
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1750-1850
The bottle is a slightly flattened inverted pear form without a stopper. It is made of transparent glass with applied decoration of blue, white and turquoise colours in thick enamel.
The bottle has four sprays of prunus on each side. It does not have a separate foot but there is an angular indentation underneath the base. The technique of decoration and the shape are unusual. 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.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 2
- 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
- Dimensions
- Height 5.9 cm
- Materials and techniques
- Transparent glass with applied enamel
Technical characteristics
- Place recorded
- China
Identification
- Candidate id
- vam-O7852
- Museum object number
- C.1536-1910
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked single-object source. Wider type attribution and authenticity have not been independently verified.
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: confirm the wider type and source attribution against specialist references.