Snuff bottle, China, 1760-1909
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1760-1909
Snuff bottle, China, 1760-1909 is an object recorded by Victoria and Albert Museum, dated 1760-1909. The museum's brief description reads: Scu, China, carving, jade.
Museum description: The bottle is a heart shaped flattened flask form, narrower towards the base, with a wide flattened neck and a dome shaped flattened stopper. It is made from Bowenite, yellowish green, with carved decoration. The stopper is made from banded jasper. The foot is faceted with an indentation underneath. The decoration is simple and solid, a wide band of raised studs. The museum record gives material recorded as jade, glass; measurements Height 5.6 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
- jade, glass
- Dimensions
- Height 5.6 cm
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- Carved Bowenite with a stopper of banded jasper
- Place recorded
- China
Identification
- Museum object name
- Snuff bottle
- Museum object number
- C.1614-1910
- Museum system number
- O7522
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.