Scrimshaw Snuff Bottle

Porcelain snuff bottle decorated in a scrimshaw-style technique to depict a woman in traditional Chinese attire amidst a landscape scene. The carved detailing in the design is pigmented to further highlight the fine detail against the patina of the bottle itself. Historically popular starting in the Qing Dynasty, these pocket-sized vessels were originally used to carry powdered tobacco, and grew in popularity to become individual works of art.