{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O8279"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O8279/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2020MT1210/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2020MT1210/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2020MT1210","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AV1500","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O8279/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O8279","accessionNumber":"C.1570-1910","objectType":"Snuff bottle","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Snuff is powdered tobacco, usually blended with aromatic herbs or spices. The habit of snuff-taking spread to China from the West during the 17th century and became established in the 18th century. People generally carried snuff in a small bottle. By the 20th century these bottles had become collectors' items, owing to the great variety of materials and decorative techniques used in their production.","physicalDescription":"The bottle is a large flattened pear form with no stopper.\r\nIt is made of glass, opaque white, with overlay of red glass carved in low relief.\r\nThe decoration depicts two boys, one climbing a <font i>wutong</font> tree and holding a lotus plant. There is also an enclosed two-character seal <font i>'Ziyun'</font>.\r\nOn the reverse the carving depicts the alchemist Zhang Qian in his log raft. On one shoulder there are two bats and on the other a pavilion amid clouds.\r\nThe high foot is partly formed by red overlay, with indentation underneath.\r\nIt is an unusually large example of a seal-type bottle. The neck rim lacks the conventional flat surface on which the stopper would sit. The Chinese word for lotus, <font i>lian</font>, is a homonym for that meaning 'successive', so the side of the bottle illustrated conveys a wish for many sons.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"glass","id":"AAT10797"}],"techniques":[{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Opaque white glass, with overlay of red glass carved in low relief","categories":[{"text":"ELISE","id":"THES48961"},{"text":"Glass","id":"THES48946"},{"text":"Containers","id":"THES48972"},{"text":"Personal accessories","id":"THES48912"}],"styles":[{"text":"Qing","id":"AAT18478"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"EAS","id":"THES48596"},"images":["2020MT1210","2006AV1500"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES362208"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"SNUFF BOTTLE","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"China","id":"x29398"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1850-1909","earliest":"1850-01-01","latest":"1909-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Salting Bequest","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"9.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'<font i>Ziyun</font>'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"Chinese","medium":"","method":"carving","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Chinese; carving"}],"objectHistory":"Bequeathed by Mr. George Salting, accessioned in 1910. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Cer, China, Qing, glass","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"White, Helen. <font -u>Snuff Bottles from China</font>. London: Bamboo Publishing Ltd in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1992. 291p., ill. ISBN 1870076109."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Zhang Qian","id":"N1861"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"boy","id":"AAT247598"},{"text":"bat (animal)","id":"x30092"},{"text":"pavilions (garden structures)","id":"AAT6819"},{"text":"lotus","id":"AAT165258"},{"text":"trees","id":"AAT132410"},{"text":"rafts","id":"AAT212835"},{"text":"clouds","id":"x30091"},{"text":"birds","id":"x35043"},{"text":"張騫泛槎","id":"CIT281140"},{"text":"張騫","id":"CIT286646"},{"text":"浮槎","id":"CIT282493"},{"text":"葫蘆","id":"CIT283142"},{"text":"蝙蝠","id":"CIT283655"},{"text":"展翅 (動物)","id":"CIT284369"},{"text":"仙宮","id":"CIT277584"},{"text":"祥雲","id":"CIT280093"},{"text":"波浪","id":"CIT284907"},{"text":"水濱","id":"CIT279425"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["C.1570-1910"],"accessionNumberNum":"1570","accessionNumberPrefix":"C","accessionYear":1910,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-29","recordCreationDate":"1998-07-09","availableToBook":true}}