Snuff Bottle
Unknown Artist
19th century
Medium
Rock crystal with jadeite stopper
Dimensions
H. 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm)
Classification
Snuff Bottles
Culture & Period
China · Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Benjamin Altman, 1913
Accession Number
14.40.463a, b
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite rock crystal snuff bottle, crafted in 19th-century China during the Qing dynasty (1644–1911), exemplifies the refined artistry of a golden age for these diminutive treasures Standing just 2½ inches (6.4 cm) tall, it served as a portable container for finely ground tobacco snuff, a luxury introduced by European traders and embraced by China's elite scholars and officials as a fashionable accessory. Snuff bottles like this one were status symbols, often carried in sleeves and admired for their ingenious design, which allowed a tiny spoon to retrieve the powder through a narrow nec...