Description:

Lot 102. A MUGHAL GEM-SET WHITE JADE GOLD-INLAID SNUFF BOTTLE
India, 18th Century

Carved from translucent white jade with a soft, lustrous surface, the bottle is fashioned in a graceful double-gourd form. Its body is delicately inlaid with gold floral scrolls set with flat-cut diamonds and cabochon rubies arranged in stylised blossoms and pendant motifs. The lower section features a six-petalled flower centred by a diamond and framed by ruby petals, while the upper bulb displays a scalloped frieze of suspended ruby drops bordered in gold. The accompanying stopper, topped with a domed pale green stone, is fitted with a slender spoon for dispensing contents.

The elegant fusion of white jade, gold, and gemstones exemplifies the Mughal court’s mastery of lapidary and metalwork techniques. Snuff bottles of this type combined aesthetic refinement with practical function, serving as luxurious personal accessories that reflected the sophistication and artistic sensibilities of the imperial ateliers.



Provenance: Private Collection Christie's, Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art (sale 8220), 28th September 1995, lot 309 

Height: 7cm

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November 4, 2025 1:00 PM GMT
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