29 Oct 2014

DARUMA - snuff bottles

LINK
http://darumasan.blogspot.jp/2005/02/netsuke-with-daruma.html

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snuff bottle, snuffbottle スナッフボトル  snuff-bottles





Made in Japan for the Chinese market, Meiji Period (1868-1912)
Of diamond shape carved in low relief with Daruma holding a hossu in his arms on side,
and Handaka Sonja carrying his bowl on the other,
the base with a shou character.
H: 2 1/8in. (5.5cm.)
source : Asiantiques - New Orleans, LA

- quote
By most terms of history in China, snuff bottles are a relatively
recent development. Tobacco reached China toward the end of the 16th
Century. Similar in time to itsf introduction into England. When
tobacco was converted into snuff is hard to say but by the mid
seventeenth century seems to be likely. Customs records document that
by 1685 snuff was entering China although it possibly may have been
in use prior to that date. Snuff, however, did not come into common
usage and was largely a habit of the upper classes. The Jesuits
introduced its use at court and soon it became increasingly common
among the court, rich landlords and merchants.

The Chinese believed that snuff possessed medicinal qualities and
that its use helped to dispel colds, cure migraine, sinus and tooth
pain, relieve throat trouble, cause sweats and counter asthma and
constipation. Snuff was believed to be particularly an aid to
digestion. Beijing was always the center of snuff usage in China.
The gHsiang tsu pi chih, a document written in the early 18th
Century, notes that snuff was being manufactured in Beijing at this
time. Mint, camphor and Jasmine were and still are added to snuff in
China.

It was not until the eighteenth century that snuff-bottles began to
be made in large numbers. The traditional shape for snuff bottles
were that they were small enough to fit in the palm of the hand.
Generally they were provided with a small spoon fixed in the stopper
and capped usually with a hemispherical piece of jade. This later
touch is undoubtedly a creation of the Chifen Lung period. Snuff
bottles are most probably an evolution of the small medicine bottles
that are common from an earlier period and the earliest dated piece
is 1653. Snuff bottles often have either the makerfs name or the
date but rarely both are present together. A large number of Chinese
snuff bottles carry the mark of Chfien Lung, but most of these were
really made during the reign of Tao Kuang (1821-1850) or later.
Further, most of the snuff bottles with the Kfang Hsi reign mark
were made significantly later. All of the bottles with interior
painting date much later and were made into the early years of the
nineteenth century.

Snuff bottles are made of a wide variety of materials. These include
coral, ivory, jade, jadeite, mother of pearl, lapis lazuli, quartz,
malachite, agate, turquoise as well as gold, silver and many more
exotic materials. Despite the number of exotic materials to chose
from, glass remained the most popular substance to use and most
surviving models are from this material. Glass was treated much
differently by the Chinese during this period than it is today. The
Chinese cut and polished it like a precious stone. By mixing metal
oxides, the subsequent glass could be turned into exquisite glass
sculptures. The glass for these works generally originated in
Shantung although the cutting itself was done in Beijing.
- source : www.asia-art.net


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