Black lacquered snuff bottle, 19th - 20th century

Snuff bottle made of black lacquered wood and decorated with mother-of-pearl inlays. The outside of the body shows bouquets of flowers surrounded by a background of diamonds that form spirals. The perfection of the inlays, their color and the state of preservation stand out.

Chinese handcrafted mother-of-pearl is an artistic treasure known by the term "螺钿" (luódiàn). It refers to the decorative technique of inlaying very thin sheets of mother-of-pearl shells into lacquered materials to form compositions. Because mother-of-pearl is a natural object with a beautiful appearance, it is widely used in numerous objects.

Height: 6,6 cm; Width: 4 cm; Thickness: 2,2 cm