Erika Ng (#3167594)
Dasha Valakhanovitch
VISC-1001-01
12 November 2018
The Creation of China’s Snuff Bottles
Creation of new items, whether decorative or for modern use have come down from a long line of old traditions and innovative creations. It is hard to imagine where the world would be without all the old traditions that have been passed down from a long line of history to form new innovative ideas in modern time. Such created articles now range from every day utensils such as bowls, to items such as decorative tapestries to represent a balance between both the traditional and innovative. This was the case as well with an old creation, the Chinese snuff bottle used to hold powdered tobacco. It is one of China’s many intriguing creations that have taken old traditions to create a new innovative item such as bottle number 92 found in Suzhou School. It is a bottle made of purple Nephrite with carved scholars drinking tea under a pine tree, created between the 1750 – 1820’s. The bottle, one out of many, show the significance of a union between tradition and innovation with the traditional challenge of creation and new portability through their traditional techniques of carving, painting, material choices, designs and uses.
Originating from the early 1500’s, unlike the European snuff box that is assembled into one by attaching the medium piece by piece, the Chinese snuff bottle was created from a single piece of material. Such materials include a large variety of metals, porcelain, stones, glass as well as organic materials which then would have been carved and decorated “with designs based on religion, literature, philosophy and folklore” (“PortCities Bristol”). Through the use of such materials, the Chinese followed the traditional saying of xiao zhong jian da, meaning to perceive grandness from smallness through enjoying the challenge of “hollowing out an entire pebble of hard, tough jade, leaving only a thin shell to contain the snuff” (Hoffman), thus providing the Chinese with a new way to “demonstrate their artistry, skill and patience in a miniature art form” (Hoffman).
Although “The first Chinese containers for snuff were made of glass in the Imperial Glass Works. Initially, bottles were made of red, blue and clear glass in imitation of jewels” (Fausone, Jr.) over time many new types of bottles were created. This is mainly due to the glass bottles being easily breakable, especially during cold winters. To create a longer lasting bottle the use of different traditional materials were chosen for snuff bottles, thus creating different types such as metal, porcelain, stone, enameled and a variety of jade and stone bottles, which are the most common types of carved bottles once craftsmen began practicing the creation of snuff bottles.
Therefore, by following the idea of the traditional saying and challenge, working with their chosen mediums meant following traditional techniques of how to carve and paint the bottles. The mastery of such traditional techniques created very intricate and fine bottles, some so fine that they were able to float on top of water. Such intricate and time-consuming technique is shown with the Nephrite bottle number 92, with the display of two scholars drinking tea under a pine tree. The material choice, being Nephrite, a stone that is part of the Jade family is a medium that is highly valued in Chinese culture along with Jadeite and Pure Jade. With the choice of the variation of the purple for the body, white as well as green Nephrite colour for the stopper and decorative portion, it would have been carefully selected for its destined owner due to its significance over time when the bottles came represent one’s personality as well as status. After careful preparation the jade stone would have then been carved starting with mouth, then going on to hollow out the entire inside of the bottle and attaching a stopper and a small spoon to snuff out the contents at the end of the process. This method of carving came to become the traditional way of creating snuff bottles along with the original traditional glass snuff bottle. Such traditions then led to the use of their traditional painting and decoration techniques for the bottles.
Once all the carving or moulding has been done, decorations depicting of Chinese history and culture would have been an added as an after process for the bottle. All bottles would have been hand-painted following Chinese traditional painting methods such as their inside-painted bottles, as well as attaching decorative pieces or adding colour directly to mediums through a dipping method as seen in their overlay bottles.
Overlay bottles were decorated by dipping “it into another color or several colors sometimes, and you cause the outside color to make an image on the bottle” (Keane). To hand paint there they use a variety of different mediums and traditional painting methods such as painting regularly on the outside, or adding colour on the inside of the bottle itself. Those painted on the inside are known as inside-painted bottles. This is where craftsmen would paint the inside of the bottle with watercolour using “a little brush that goes in and has a right angle so that the paint can go onto the surface.” (Keane), which would have been a very big challenge due to the small opening of the mouth of the small vessel.
In the case of the Nephrite bottle with two scholars drinking under a pine tree, it would have undergone an attaching method. The stone of this particular bottle would have been carved from the inside then followed by a carving on the outside to attach to the body with a white Nephrite thus create the image of the two scholars. This follows their tradition and culture of handling and valuing items of delicacy and traditional methods of painting and decorative design.
Along with a continuation of tradition being brought down into the creation process of the snuff boxes, it also came with an innovative side with its design. Following the introduction of snuff and snuff boxes in China by the Europeans the bottles are believed to have been “created as a replacement for the unusable European snuffbox” (“THE HISTORY OF SNUFF BOTTLES AND SNUFF”). The European snuff box being much larger in size and much more loose-fitting design of the box was not an ideal way for the Chinese to carry due to overall humidity of their environment and culture of the Chinese people.
As demonstrated by the purple Nephrite bottle number 92, the Chinese found a way around this inconvenience. A new design of a small airtight vessel was created to prevent the powdered tobacco inside from clumping up together, thus bringing the traditional snuff bottles to life. The design of the vessel is believed to be modeled after old tradition medicine bottles, however with changed and added details such as the size of the bottle being much smaller, “almost none are taller than 3 inches” (Keane), then a stopper was added to create the airtight vessel along with a small spoon attached to snuff out tobacco. This innovation from the change of open medicine to closed airtight bottles allowed the preservation and longer containing period for the tobacco unlike its European counterpart.
Another contributing factor to its innovation is the size of the bottle itself. Traditionally, Chinese clothing did not have pockets for people to carry items. This created a problem with carrying the large European counterpart on a daily basis for use. In Chinese culture due to their traditional clothes the majority of items were either handheld, carried in large baskets or most commonly placed in small pouches that could be tied around the wrist. To facilitate their transportation and use, the revised snuff bottle was created from their traditional medicine bottles. With the small design not only was it easier to carry, it also acted as a way to display one person’s standing and character. This small size thus led to the snuff bottles to become not just a traditional item, but a new item for use as well as decoration and art many Chinese craftsmen enjoyed and passed down through history to evolve into modern items.
The concept of snuff bottles having quickly become “an artistic adornment” (Hoffman) became strikingly significant through later items in artistic views, decorative process as well as in usable context. Even until now, similar bottles are still used by the Chinese although no longer for powdered tobacco but going back once again to medicines, mainly applicable medicinal liquids such as pain relief oil. Such is also the case with the artistic aspect. The methods of painting, assembling and creation are techniques that are still in practice. Such items as inside-painted glass cups or bowls or assembled pieces of sculptures are still very common, especially with the technique of assembling as demonstrated by the chosen Nephrite bottle.
It is clear from going back and taking a look at history with the purple Nephrite bottle depicting two scholars drinking tea under a pine tree as well as many of the other bottles that have descended from a long line of different crafted bottles, that the items create a balanced merger between tradition and innovation. Through their mix of using traditional creation methods of carving and painting along with their choice of creating a new design to adapt to their surroundings, it can be noted that they have provided significant inspiration to new creations and art in the modern world. It is necessary to realize that without a balance between both, many articles would not be an existing piece of history or the world now.
The Thomson Collection, Chinese Snuff Bottles
Nephrite, with carved scholars drinking tea under a pine tree
Suzhou School
1750 – 1820
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