Snuff bottle, glass, overlay, China, 1850-1909
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1850-1909
People generally carried snuff in a small bottle. The bottle is baluster form a with a flared neck and graduated stopper with a finial. The stopper is made of a pink material, probably glass.
The decoration depicts a continuous design of a panther stting in a prunus tree, two pairs of birds, possibly magpies, rocks, magic fungus and an inscription, ' Ziyun xie , 'Designed by Ziyun', with a seal ' Yu . There is a ring of overlay around the neck. The foot is formed by a thin ring of overlay , with shallow indentation underneath. The glass is carved in low relief. This is a 'seal-type' bottle, in the style known to collectors as 'Yangzhou School'. The panther ( bao ) is often combined with magpies ( xi ) as bao also means 'to announce' or 'to herald' and xi 'joy' or 'pleasure'. The name Ziyun appears in a seal form on another seal-type bottle in the collection (C.1570-1910), and may be a name of the person who designed , and perhaps carved , both bottles.
Yu is possibly another of his names. Bequeathed by Mr. George Salting, accessioned in 1910.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- 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
- Material
- Glass, opaque white, with overlay of blue glass carved in relief and a pink stopper, probably made of glass
- Dimensions
- Height: 6.8 cm
Technical characteristics
- Place recorded
- China
Design
- Marks and inscriptions
- Ziyun xie; Yu
Identification
- Source note
- Transcribed from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London collection record for this single object (sentences kept verbatim apart from removed sale or rarity wording); how far it represents a wider collectible type has not been independently verified.
- Candidate id
- vam-O8266
- Museum object name
- Snuff bottle
- Holding institution
- Victoria and Albert Museum, London
- Museum object number
- C.1571-1910
- Museum system number
- O8266
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, maker and dating against a specialist reference; this entry documents one recorded example.