I don't know a lot about Chinese snuff bottles, but when I spotted this one I had a sense it was a pretty special little thing. It appears to be carved of stone, perhaps lapis lazuli, but I am quite uncertain about that; aside from the color, the stone and the appearance of the carving makes it seem more akin in nature to jade. It is carved on both sides with a vase or urn at center, filled with what looks like a large philadendron leaf. Spilling forth are what appear to be vines to the right, and tassels to the left. Toward the bottom of the short sides of the bottle Chinese characters are carved. From looking at lots of other snuff bottles in trying to figure this one out, I assume it dates to the 19th century, and it may be this is not the original stopper. I also imagine that the stopper once extended into a spoon, but the spoon component is gone.
It measures 2 1/4" tall x 1 5/8" wide x 7/8" deep.There is some unevenness to the surface coloration, as documented in photos, but structurally it is in very good shape, no chips or cracks. I believe it would work nicely as a perfume bottle, but also just as a lovely little object for display.
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