{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O8814"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O8814/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021MW3622/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021MW3622/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2021MW3622","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AU9454","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O8814/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O8814","accessionNumber":"C.1775-1910","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 pebble shaped and it does not have a stopper.\r\nIt is made of quartz with large inclusions of chalcedony and agate, with carved decoration.\r\nThe carving depicts a cormorant fisherman and his birds in a boat being carried along on the back of a grotesque fish-like creature with a smaller fish beside it. On the reverse there is a sleeping bird.\r\nThe bottle does not have a foot but stands upright on a fairly flat base.\r\nThe bottle is probably formed from a natural pebble.\r\nThe decoration is an uneasy combination of natural and carved, with the area of chalcedony used for the fish monsters, and the sleeping bird carved from an area of quartz enclosed by swirls of agate.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"chalcedony","id":"AAT11134"},{"text":"quartz","id":"AAT11132"},{"text":"agate","id":"AAT11135"}],"techniques":[{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Carved quartz with inclusions of chalcedony and agate","categories":[{"text":"ELISE","id":"THES48961"},{"text":"Containers","id":"THES48972"},{"text":"Personal accessories","id":"THES48912"}],"styles":[{"text":"Qing","id":"AAT18478"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"EAS","id":"THES48596"},"images":["2021MW3622","2006AU9454"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"008","id":"THES363113"},"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":"1750-1909","earliest":"1750-01-01","latest":"1909-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Salting Bequest","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"5.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"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":"Chinese snuff bottle, carved quartz with inclusions of chalcedony and agate, depicting a cormorant fisherman; 1750-1909.","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":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"fishermen (people)","id":"AAT25608"},{"text":"bird","id":"x35043"},{"text":"boats","id":"AAT178749"},{"text":"fish","id":"x30068"},{"text":"漁夫","id":"CIT282564"},{"text":"鸕鷀 (科)","id":"CIT284379"},{"text":"小舟","id":"CIT281998"},{"text":"海怪","id":"CIT279539"},{"text":"浮遊 (動物)","id":"CIT284295"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["C.1775-1910"],"accessionNumberNum":"1775","accessionNumberPrefix":"C","accessionYear":1910,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-30","recordCreationDate":"1998-08-11","availableToBook":true}}