Snuff bottle, China, 1800-1895
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1800-1895
Snuff bottle, China, 1800-1895 is an object recorded by Victoria and Albert Museum, dated 1800-1895. The museum's brief description reads: Scu, China, carving, agate.
Museum description: The bottle is an oblong flattened flask form with sloping shoulders. It has a two-part dome-shaped stopper. It is made of agate, pale yellow with a stopper of carnelian and yellow glass. The foot is high and straight. The decorative interest lies in the elegant shape and pure colour of the bottle. The shape suggests a nineteenth-century date. The museum record gives material recorded as agate, glass, carnelian; measurements Height 5.5 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
- agate, glass, carnelian
- Dimensions
- Height 5.5 cm
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- Carved agate with a stopper of carnelian and coloured glass
- Place recorded
- China
Identification
- Museum object name
- Snuff bottle
- Museum object number
- C.1606-1910
- Museum system number
- O8646
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.