Snuff bottle
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1850-1880
This Chinese snuff bottle dates to the Qing dynasty, between 1850 and 1880, and was created by an unknown maker. The piece is fashioned in the form of a rounded, flattened flask and measures 7.2 cm in height, 3.3 cm in width, and 2.5 cm in depth. The bottle has a cylindrical neck and is preserved without an accompanying stopper.
The vessel is constructed from opaque mottled white glass embellished with an overlay of blue glass worked through carving. Its primary decorative motif depicts a fish spouting a palace, carved upon the front and repeated in the same design on the reverse face. Mock ring handles are positioned on each shoulder of the flask. The high foot is likewise overlaid with blue glass and features an angular indentation underneath. The relief carving across the object displays roughly incised details and contours.
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.
Historical context
Snuff, a powdered tobacco blended with aromatic herbs or spices, spread to China from the West during the 17th century and became established in the 18th century, with users generally carrying it in small bottles. This specimen was purchased from Professor Lessing of the Kunstgewerbe Museum in Berlin and accessioned into the collection in 1880.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- Glass, opaque mottled white, with blue glass overlay carved in relief
- Dimensions
- Height: 7.2 cm; Width: 3.3 cm; Depth: 2.5 cm
Technical characteristics
- Maker recorded
- Unknown
- Place recorded
- China
Identification
- Source note
- Transcribed from the Victoria and Albert Museum collection record for this single object; how far it represents a wider collectible type has not been independently verified.
- Museum object name
- Snuff bottle
- Museum object number
- 434-1880
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.