Snuff bottle, overlay glass, China, 1850-1880
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1850-1880
People generally carried snuff in a small bottle. The bottle is an oval flask form, slightly flattened without a stopper. It is made of transparent glass with an overlay of amber-coloured glass carved in relief. The decoration consists of 'Double happiness' characters on each side with masks and mock ring handles on the shoulders. The foot is partly formed by overlay with very shallow smooth indentation underneath.
The crude quality of the carving suggests a date during the period 1850 to 1870, or later if made for a foreign market, as is suggested by the 'Double happiness' motif which is exotic yet simple enough for foreigners to recognise and understand. Bought, Kunstgewerbe Museum Berlin per Prof Lessing
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
- Material
- Transparent glass with an overlay of amber-coloured glass carved in relief
- Dimensions
- Height: 7.2 cm; Width: 3.3 cm; Depth: 2.5 cm
Technical characteristics
- Place recorded
- China
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-O7909
- Museum object name
- Snuff bottle
- Holding institution
- Victoria and Albert Museum, London
- Museum object number
- 437-1880
- Museum system number
- O7909
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.