Hidden Chinese Art: Snuff Bottles
Learn how powdered tobacco, or snuff, became a transnational craze that inspired the unique Chinese art of crafting tiny bottles out of everything from jade to cloisonné.
After Europeans discovered the New World, tobacco was one of many new commodities to find a global market, and it found a niche within the system of Chinese medicine. As snuff grew in popularity from the imperial household to common merchants, snuff bottles became ubiquitous, elaborate works of fashionable art. Made to fit in the palm of one’s hand, they were sculpted to produce a pleasing tactile sensation that would complement their ascetic appearance.
Based on original research and the museum’s snuff bottle collection, this lecture explores the history of snuff and the techniques of carving, shaping, and painting bottles that are still in use today. RSVP: 619-338-9888 or [email protected].