Snuff bottle; China, Qing dynasty, 19th century.

Snuff bottle; China, Qing dynasty, XIX century.
Lacquer and brass mount.
Measurements: 7 x 6 x 3 cm.
Snuff bottle made in cinnabar red lacquer with peony ornamentation. This type of snuff bottle became widespread from the seventeenth century to keep the snuff type tobacco introduced by the Portuguese throughout the previous century. Tobacco became widespread in China among the upper classes as a medicine for a wide range of ailments: asthma, throat ailments and the evil eye. When it became a fashion, small containers were created and were the object of profuse ornamentation, becoming, in some cases, true works of art.