Snuff bottles: A skill not to be sniffed at

Intricately decorated Chinese snuff bottles made from glass, stone, jade, agate, wood, ivory and lacquer are highly collectable, says Chris Carter.

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This glass bottle dating from 1898 is expected to sell for up to $60,000.

"The snuff is put into glass bottles [of various colours]... The white [ones] as clear as crystal, the red like fire. What lovely things they are!" raved Wang Shizhen, a high-ranking minister of the Kangxi Emperor in 1702. The Qing dynasty, to which the emperor belonged, had banned the smoking of tobacco in China in the mid-17th century. But snuff finely ground tobacco leaves that are inhaled through the nose was permitted due to its supposed health benefits. While the Europeans preferred to keep their snuff in boxes, the Chinese settled on small bottles made from glass, stone, jade, agate, wood, ivory and lacquer. As the fashion for snuff took hold, snuff bottles became status symbols both in the imperial court and elsewhere. "Snuff bottles are also imitated among the people, but are far inferior in quality and design," Wang noted.

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Chris Carter
Wealth Editor, MoneyWeek

Chris Carter spent three glorious years reading English literature on the beautiful Welsh coast at Aberystwyth University. Graduating in 2005, he left for the University of York to specialise in Renaissance literature for his MA, before returning to his native Twickenham, in southwest London. He joined a Richmond-based recruitment company, where he worked with several clients, including the Queen’s bank, Coutts, as well as the super luxury, Dorchester-owned Coworth Park country house hotel, near Ascot in Berkshire.

Then, in 2011, Chris joined MoneyWeek. Initially working as part of the website production team, Chris soon rose to the lofty heights of wealth editor, overseeing MoneyWeek’s Spending It lifestyle section. Chris travels the globe in pursuit of his work, soaking up the local culture and sampling the very finest in cuisine, hotels and resorts for the magazine’s discerning readership. He also enjoys writing his fortnightly page on collectables, delving into the fascinating world of auctions and art, classic cars, coins, watches, wine and whisky investing.

You can follow Chris on Instagram.