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39

Porcelain Snuff Bottle with a River Scene, Artemisia, Qing

Currency:EUR Category:Collectibles Start Price:240.00 EUR Estimated At:400.00 - 500.00 EUR
Porcelain Snuff Bottle with a River Scene, Artemisia, Qing
Porcelain with blue underglaze painting, quartz
China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911)
Base with artemisia leaf mark
Flattened ovoid shape with an oval foot
River scene with two scholars and a servant in a boat
Two stylized handles at the shoulders
Stopper of quartz
Height with stopper: 8.5 cm
Good condition
Provenance: Private collection Munich
Decorative snuff bottle with idyllic landscape representation and two scholars and a servant in a boat

This detailed porcelain snuff bottle features a blue underglaze painting and dates to the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). The bottle has an oval foot and forms a flattened, ovoid shape with stylized handles at the shoulders. The stopper is made of quartz with an ivory spoon. The wall is decorated with a revolving river scene and two scholars and a servant are visible in a boat. In the distance high towering mountains are recognizable. Base shows an artemisia leaf mark in underglaze blue.



This snuff bottle is in good condition with only slight signs of age and wear. The height with closure measures 8.5 cm.



Chinese Snuff bottles

Chinese snuff bottles were used to store snuff tobacco powder. Besides this function, they were also decorative and served as a representative symbol of status. The small masterpieces reveal great craftsmanship and were made from various materials such as glass, porcelain, jade, quartz, ivory, coral, lacquer, amber or wood.



In the late 16th century, tobacco was imported to China from Europe and was initially smoked in pipes. The use as snuff began only after the start of the Qing dynasty in 1644. During this time, smoking tobacco was forbidden, whereas the use of snuff as a remedy for common illnesses like colds, headaches or stomach trouble, was accepted. At first, snuff was only accessible to the elites of the dynastic household, but towards the end of the 17th century it became popular at the Beijing court and developed into a social ritual among the upper classes. By the end of the late 18th century, this trend had spread to the rest of the country, permeating all social strata. It was considered polite to offer a pinch of snuff to friends on the street or house guests. As a result, the elaborately made Snuff bottles were constantly hand-held and display softly rounded edges. The great popularity of snuff found its peak during the Qing dynasty and ended after the revolution and subsequent foundation of the republic in 1911.
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