1 Snuff bottles became popular in China during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912).
2 The sizes of snuff bottles may vary between ca. 2 cm – 15 cm in height.
3 Inside painted snuff bottles are painted from the INSIDE. It is amazing that an artist can produce such fine work through the tiny neck of a bottle.
4 The artist enters the bottle from the neck with a tiny pencil, like a bamboo stick with a small hook, and sometimes with a few hairs connected.
5 The hook is sometimes covered with paper towel, to get special effects.
6 It can take 3 months to paint a snuff bottle.
7 You can’t make any mistakes while painting, because you can’t correct your mistakes.
8 You need about 10 years to be able to paint a snuff bottle of a high standard quality.
9 Become a member of The International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society, to learn about snuff bottles and meet collectors of snuff bottles.
10 Snuff bottles are still being made.
11 Snuff bottles are no longer being used for inhaling snuff, but only as a collecting piece of beautiful art.
12 After the outer shape of the bottle is been carved, it is hollowed out, using a foot treadle-powered drill. When the hollowing is completed, the interior surface is polished. This is done in stages. The part that would be used for interior painting is left rough enough to hold the paint.
13 The decoration on a piece of Chinese art serves 2 functions: it enhances a plain surface, and it usually presents a veiled auspicious meaning.
14 We deliver your order including a certificate of authenticity.
