Snuff bottle, China, ca. 1700
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
ca. 1700
Snuff bottle, China, ca. 1700 is an object recorded by Victoria and Albert Museum, dated ca. 1700. The museum's brief description reads: Chinese snuff bottle, ca.
1700, Qing dynasty; porcelain, with painted decoration depicting pine, prunus and bamboo.. Museum description: The bottle is in the form of a garlic mouthed case with no stopper. It is a made of porcelain, painted in dark blue under a paler blue glaze. The decoration depicts pine, bamboo and prunus, with an insect. The high splayed foot has a smaller rim underneath and a high curved indentation. The pine, bamboo and prunus form a popular decorative motif 'Three Friends of Winter', since the pine and the bamboo are evergreen and the prunus blossoms very early.
This bottle has a cork and could have been made as a snuff bottle, although written evidence suggests that glass was the earliest material used for making snuff bottles. It is more likely that the bottle was adapted for snuff use sometime after its manufacture. The museum record gives material recorded as porcelain; measurements Height 8.1 cm; place associated: China. These details come from the holding museum's own record; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.
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 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.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- porcelain
- Dimensions
- Height 8.1 cm
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- Porcelain, with decoration painted under a glaze
- Place recorded
- China
Identification
- Museum object name
- Snuff bottle
- Museum object number
- 912-1903
- Museum system number
- O9042
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 materials, dimensions, maker and wider type against the museum record and a specialist reference.