Only Chinese version is available
Ivory snuff bottle carved in the shape of a goose
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Mark
Four-character mark of Qianlong
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Year
Qianlong period (1736 – 1795), Qing dynasty
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Media
Ivory
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Dimensions
H 3 cm L 4.7 cm
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Museum No.
C1978.0299
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Description
The taking of snuff–made by grinding tobacco to a fine powder – and the exchange of snuff bottles were very popular social customs in Europe as early as the sixteenth century, but it was not until the late Ming period that they were introduced to China. Initially only practised at court, the habit spread to the general public during the Qing dynasty, when the Chinese began to devise their own snuff bottles, which then became reflections of social status. Snuff bottles were made from a large variety of materials, including metal, porcelain, jade, lacquer, glass, ivory and bamboo, and they thus form a representation in miniature of traditional Chinese decorative art.
This snuff bottle was produced by the Beijing Palace Workshop. In the shape of a goose, the entire body is carved with fine lines to suggest the bird’s feathers. The eyes are inlaid in black; the head is embellished with a semi-precious stone in red and the beak inlaid with horn. The cover is fashioned as a hinged section carved out of the goose’s breast, while underneath is a stopper with a spatula for scooping the snuff. The webbed feet are folded under the body and realistically depicted with brown staining. The entire piece is ingeniously conceived yet depicted with great naturalism. The inside of the hinged cover bears a four-character mark of the Qianlong period.
The Qianlong emperor was particularly fond of intricate ivory carvings, and this snuff bottle exemplifies the best eighteenth century ivory carvings. With its clever design, perfect sense of proportion, superb carving and fine details, it is considered an outstanding artefact of the period.
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—Collection of Hong Kong Museum of Art
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