pale green jade; high-relief carvings on each side with dragon in clouds on one side and phoenix in clouds on other side; slightly darker green jade stopper in the form of a peach; spoon lost

Snuff bottle with dragon and phoenix, Qing dynasty (1644-1912)

Unknown artist, expand_more
Not on Viewexpand_more

Snuff is powdered tobacco, which users inhale up their noses. It was introduced to China from Europe in the early 1700s and became widely popular. Storage bottles, often with stoppers ending with spoons to extract the snuff within, soon caught on throughout Chinese society. Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, yet often incredibly ornate, Chinese snuff bottles can be marvels of artistic skill. As demonstrated by this group of examples, many bottles are made from materials such as ceramic, jade, crystal, or other semiprecious stones.

Details
Title
Snuff bottle with dragon and phoenix
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2023.94.1a,b
Curator Approved

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pale green jade; high-relief carvings on each side with dragon in clouds on one side and phoenix in clouds on other side; slightly darker green jade stopper in the form of a peach; spoon lost