With their unique beauty and design, Chinese snuff bottles are admired by art fans the world over. What started as a convenient item for holding powdered tobacco later attracted generations of artists who decorated snuff bottles with some of the most exquisite, sophisticated Chinese artwork. Though incredibly small, snuff bottles have been in huge demand both in the past and today. Shoppers in Beijing have a unique opportunity to check out the elegant snuff bottles in the city's local shops.
Art lovers sometimes are at a loss of words to describe the beauty of snuff bottles. Famous bottles made in the past were usually made of some of the most precious materials - gold, jade, emeralds, pearl, or ivory - and adorned with the most expensive artwork, like cloisonne, paintings, calligraphy, or lacquer. Bottles originally made for the rich are even more beautiful and complex, since these bottles were used to symbolize their power and opulence.
Though a uniquely Chinese item, the snuff bottle was invented based on the snuff box used by the Europeans. It is believed that they were first made in the late Ming dynasty, right after Chinese began to smoke tobacco imported from the west. In the early Qing dynasty, it became very popular, as people started to use exquisitely made snuff bottles to show their status and taste in art.
Throughout the Qing dynasty, as the number of smokers grew and more and more people were fascinated by their artistic value, snuff bottles became increasingly popular. This was despite the fact that smoking tobacco was banned during this period. Even the Qing Emperors fell in love with snuff bottles. The snuff bottle in its current form - one with a tiny spoon attached under the stopper, was first produced by a workshop established inside the Forbidden City by the Emperor Daoguang. In the 1970s, artisans began to use modern techniques to make such bottles.
An especially interesting, unique class of snuff bottle is the "inside painted bottle." First made in the late Qing dynasty, such bottles quickly became a favorite among art collectors. It is usually made of glass and has a picture painted on the inside surface. Compared to pictures painted on the outside, pictures painted on the inside will not easily fade or come off after being used for a long time. Such bottles came to dominate the market starting in the 1970's. Bottles with traditional Chinese paintings or calligraphy done by famous artists are greatly prized.
Cultural Note: It is said "inside painted bottle" was invented in the late Qianlong era of the Qing dynasty. A low-ranking official went to Beijing on an assignment. He was one of a few good people who were disgusted by rampant corruption and were unwilling to give bribes under any circumstances. Because of this, he was ignored by the corrupted officials in the imperial court, who told him to wait indefinitely in the city.
The waiting was endless, and before long the official had used all his money. To survive, he had to move into a Buddhist temples and live with monks. He was a smoker and used a snuff bottle to smoke. One day when he tried to scrape out the last remaining tobacco powder in his bottle with a stick, a monk sitting next to him noticed something. The monk found that the scraping of stick inside the bottle could produce images on the surface. Later he used a sharpened stick dipped with ink to do the scraping, and the first "inside painted bottle" was created.
Chinese snuff bottles are made using a huge variety of materials. Usually there are six main types of snuff bottles made of six different materials: glass, porcelain, jade, amber, agate, and tourmaline. Bottles made of each of these materials have a unique look. Snuff bottle collectors usually have a large collection of bottles, all made of different materials and decorated with different types of artwork.
Shop for exquisite snuff bottles in the local shops when you are in Beijing, because they are too good to miss. Some great shops have bottles made by famous artisans in China. You can find a personal shopper to help you find the right places to go shopping.
Art lovers sometimes are at a loss of words to describe the beauty of snuff bottles. Famous bottles made in the past were usually made of some of the most precious materials - gold, jade, emeralds, pearl, or ivory - and adorned with the most expensive artwork, like cloisonne, paintings, calligraphy, or lacquer. Bottles originally made for the rich are even more beautiful and complex, since these bottles were used to symbolize their power and opulence.
Though a uniquely Chinese item, the snuff bottle was invented based on the snuff box used by the Europeans. It is believed that they were first made in the late Ming dynasty, right after Chinese began to smoke tobacco imported from the west. In the early Qing dynasty, it became very popular, as people started to use exquisitely made snuff bottles to show their status and taste in art.
Throughout the Qing dynasty, as the number of smokers grew and more and more people were fascinated by their artistic value, snuff bottles became increasingly popular. This was despite the fact that smoking tobacco was banned during this period. Even the Qing Emperors fell in love with snuff bottles. The snuff bottle in its current form - one with a tiny spoon attached under the stopper, was first produced by a workshop established inside the Forbidden City by the Emperor Daoguang. In the 1970s, artisans began to use modern techniques to make such bottles.
An especially interesting, unique class of snuff bottle is the "inside painted bottle." First made in the late Qing dynasty, such bottles quickly became a favorite among art collectors. It is usually made of glass and has a picture painted on the inside surface. Compared to pictures painted on the outside, pictures painted on the inside will not easily fade or come off after being used for a long time. Such bottles came to dominate the market starting in the 1970's. Bottles with traditional Chinese paintings or calligraphy done by famous artists are greatly prized.
Cultural Note: It is said "inside painted bottle" was invented in the late Qianlong era of the Qing dynasty. A low-ranking official went to Beijing on an assignment. He was one of a few good people who were disgusted by rampant corruption and were unwilling to give bribes under any circumstances. Because of this, he was ignored by the corrupted officials in the imperial court, who told him to wait indefinitely in the city.
The waiting was endless, and before long the official had used all his money. To survive, he had to move into a Buddhist temples and live with monks. He was a smoker and used a snuff bottle to smoke. One day when he tried to scrape out the last remaining tobacco powder in his bottle with a stick, a monk sitting next to him noticed something. The monk found that the scraping of stick inside the bottle could produce images on the surface. Later he used a sharpened stick dipped with ink to do the scraping, and the first "inside painted bottle" was created.
Chinese snuff bottles are made using a huge variety of materials. Usually there are six main types of snuff bottles made of six different materials: glass, porcelain, jade, amber, agate, and tourmaline. Bottles made of each of these materials have a unique look. Snuff bottle collectors usually have a large collection of bottles, all made of different materials and decorated with different types of artwork.
Shop for exquisite snuff bottles in the local shops when you are in Beijing, because they are too good to miss. Some great shops have bottles made by famous artisans in China. You can find a personal shopper to help you find the right places to go shopping.
About the Author:
A. Lao has written about Chinese arts and crafts for years. He assists a Beijing personal shopper who brings customers to special Chinese stores. From time to time, he plans personal shopping trips.
