Opaque white glass snuff bottle, decorated with overlay of blue and red glass, China, 1821-1895

The bottle is an oval flattened flask form, with a particularly wide neck in relation to the size of the bottle. The bottle does not have a stopper. It is made of glass, opaque white, with an overlay of blue and red glass.

The decoration depicts a fenghuang (Chinese Phoenix) standing on rocks. On the reverse there is a dragon above waves with masks and mock ring handles on the shoulders, the details of the faces are well delineated. The low foot is formed by the red glass overlay, with indentation underneath. The dragon and phoenix are blue, the shoulder masks and the decoration around the base (waves below the dragon, changing to rocks below the phoenix) are red.

The colours are deep and rich and the carving is of good quality. 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.