Snuff bottle, 1780-1880

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.

The bottle is a rounded flattened flask form with a dome-shaped stopper. It is made of quartz, transparent with white veining, with carved details; the stopper of glass or a natural material coloured yellow. There are masks and mock ring handles on the shoulders. The high foot has a high indentation underneath.