Snuff bottle, glass and porcelain, China, 1760-1820

People generally carried snuff in a small bottle. The bottle is a flattened disc form made of blue glass, with moulded and carved details and a decoration of applied porcelain, pierced and painted in enamel colours. The dome-shaped stopper is made of porcelain coloured white and green to imitate jadeite jade, its rim coloured gold to imitate gilded metal. The bottle is decorated with masks and mock ring handles on shoulders.

On each side there is a circular medallion of porcelain with a pierced diaper pattern painted red, enclosed by solid border with a lattice design painted in green, yellow, blue, black and pink. The foot has an indentation underneath. The porcelain medallion dates from latter part of the Qianlong (1736-1795) period or from the Jiaqing (1796-1820) period. The incorporation of ceramic in a glass bottle is very unusual. Bequeathed by Mr. George Salting, accessioned in 1910.