Snuff bottle with imperial hunting scene
1735-1796
Large and robust, this bottle may have been designed to be visible from afar during a royal hunt. The hunt was a metaphor for military prowess and a validation of the emperor’s authority to rule. Retainers with diverse ancestries and origins were brought together at this public forum as allies and mutual protectors of the territory.
Wood with gilt metal, jade, malachite, agate, coral, pearl, rose quartz, and lacquer
3 1/2 x 7/8 x 2 11/16 in. (8.9 x 2.3 x 6.8 cm)
Overall h.: 3 15/16 in.
Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection
33.918