Chinese Snuff Bottles
The use of snuff in China began only after the establishment of the Qing Dynasty in 1644, and ended with the fall of the reign in 1912. At the time, snuff was valued for its supposed medicinal qualities. Due to the humid conditions of the climate, which caused the powdered tobacco to mildew, snuff was dispensed in a bottle, rather than in boxes as was the European custom.
The popularity of snuff and the snuff bottle was firmly established in and around the court at Beijing by the end of the 17th Century. The custom appears to have remained centered there for most of the 18th century, and the use of snuff became a social ritual of the upper classes. The containers upon which much art, taste and money had been expended became the subject of active acquisition.
Snuff-taking and the collecting of snuff bottles had become a nationwide habit among all social classes by the end of the 18th century. The snuff bottle also became a popular curio for foreign visitors to acquire.
Bottles were made in a great variety of materials: glass, porcelain, jade and other hard stones, ivory, coral, lacquer, amber, wood, bone, and even fossil mammoth teeth, the snuff bottle was then produced in enormous quantities and of varying quality to supply the increased demand. Although the high point in the manufacture of most types of bottles was the 18th century, a great many fine bottles continued to be made throughout the 19th century.
I collect Chinese Snuff Bottles. This page will showcase the favorites in my collection, and provide links to sources about bottles on the Internet.
Links
The International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society. Contains pages of photos of truly exquisite bottles and information.
Modern Snuff Bottles are very collectible, if they come from an excellent source. Hengshui Yi-Hu-Zhai Arts & Crafts Co. is one of the best.
My Collection
Four bottles in my collection: I apologize for the quality of the photos, the light wasn't great.
Cloisonne, 1.5 Inches high, a yellow and green dragon. The stopper features a flower. Late 19th C.
Cloisonne, 2 inches high. Magpies and flowers. Mid-Late 19th C.
Porcelain, 1.5 inches high. Two white squirrels, coral stopper. Mid 18th to early 19th C. This was one of my first bottles, and is still my favorite.
Porcelain, 2.5 inches high. Four children playing with a turtle. This bottle is carefully designed with "good fortune" in mind: the children, their clothing, the turtle and the number four are all very fortunate. The stopper is amber. 19th C.
