Chinese Ceramic Powder Bottle
Beijing, China
This is a tale of not really knowing what you have. In 1983 I traveled to Beijing on behalf of a large department store. My job was to go to a warehouse filled with boxes of antiquities (origin unknown) and purchase embellished silver and ceramic beads, jade ornaments, and small containers which would be repurposed into jewelry pieces. Along the way we purchased a few items for ourselves. These 2 snuff bottles were part of that haul. They are not museum worthy otherwise the customs officials would have confiscated them, but they surely are authentic.
The yellow variation is truly unique among the many snuff bottles I’ve found. It is rare to find one so feminine in both its colorations and its design-- In all my research I have not found another one like it.
The lyrical motifs of ribbons, bows, and flowers make one believe it was made for a woman—perhaps for a courtesan or lover. It’s fun to guess.
Beijing, China
This is a tale of not really knowing what you have. In 1983 I traveled to Beijing on behalf of a large department store. My job was to go to a warehouse filled with boxes of antiquities (origin unknown) and purchase embellished silver and ceramic beads, jade ornaments, and small containers which would be repurposed into jewelry pieces. Along the way we purchased a few items for ourselves. These 2 snuff bottles were part of that haul. They are not museum worthy otherwise the customs officials would have confiscated them, but they surely are authentic.
The yellow variation is truly unique among the many snuff bottles I’ve found. It is rare to find one so feminine in both its colorations and its design-- In all my research I have not found another one like it.
The lyrical motifs of ribbons, bows, and flowers make one believe it was made for a woman—perhaps for a courtesan or lover. It’s fun to guess.
Beijing, China
This is a tale of not really knowing what you have. In 1983 I traveled to Beijing on behalf of a large department store. My job was to go to a warehouse filled with boxes of antiquities (origin unknown) and purchase embellished silver and ceramic beads, jade ornaments, and small containers which would be repurposed into jewelry pieces. Along the way we purchased a few items for ourselves. These 2 snuff bottles were part of that haul. They are not museum worthy otherwise the customs officials would have confiscated them, but they surely are authentic.
The yellow variation is truly unique among the many snuff bottles I’ve found. It is rare to find one so feminine in both its colorations and its design-- In all my research I have not found another one like it.
The lyrical motifs of ribbons, bows, and flowers make one believe it was made for a woman—perhaps for a courtesan or lover. It’s fun to guess.
Dimensions:
W 2”
H 2 1/2”
Condition: Excellent
