Snuff bottle with scene of a lotus pond

Snuff bottle with scene of a lotus pond

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Snuff bottles were among the first glass items produced at the Qing imperial workshops and remained popular throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The technique used to achieve the ruby color of the outer layer of glass on this piece can be traced back to ancient Rome and was transmitted to Chinese artisans working in Guangzhou and Beijing in the early eighteenth century. The same recipe was used to color pink enamels of the period.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Snuff bottle with scene of a lotus pondSnuff bottle with scene of a lotus pondSnuff bottle with scene of a lotus pondSnuff bottle with scene of a lotus pondSnuff bottle with scene of a lotus pond

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.