Chinese Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes

This is a very small antique snuff pot. A Chinese, carved marble lidded jar, dating to the late Victorian period, circa 1900. Endearingly petite, with...

This petite metal canister was once used to store a smoker's personal supply of opium paste. Providing an airtight seal, the small box is formed of brass with an etched and stamped d...

A petite white brass (baitong) canister once used to store a smoker's personal supply of opium paste. Dated to the 19th-century, the box is an example of Qing-dynasty erotica, incorp...

An 18th Century Chinese Beijing enamel snuff box finely painted to the lid and sides with typical Chinese scenes, the base painted with a leafy gourd. The lid is mounted in gilt bron...

Chinese export silver cigarette case, ca 1910. Curved and rectangular with push tab. On cover engraved tail-chasing dragon—all talons and horns and scaly serpentine body. Back plain....

A small porcelain snuff bottle featuring a delicately hand-painted figural scene on the front. The scene depicts traditional Chinese figures in a garden setting, executed in bright e...

Antique Chinese Opium Box in Cloisonné Enamel, decorated with Floral Motifs and Interior Scenes French Private Collection

A petite 19th century canister once used to store a smoker's personal supply of opium paste. A keepsake from a bygone era, the small box is formed of antique coins and copper and pro...

A fine and impressive antique Chinese Export Silver cigarette / card case; part of our diverse Asian silverware collection. This fine antique Chinese Export Silver (CES) cigarette/card case has a plain rectangular form with rounded corners. The anterior cover is embellished with an embossed and chased decorated iconic Chinese dragon design amidst clouds, on a matte background, incorporating a shield shaped vacant cartouche. The posterior cover is ornamented with traditional embossed and chased plum blossom foliate and floral decoration, also on a matte background. The rounded sides of this antique silver cigarette case...

A petite 19th century canister once used to store a smoker's personal supply of opium paste. A keepsake from a bygone era, the small box is formed of brass and provided an airtight s...

Old Chinese Opium Box in Cloisonné Enamel, decorated with Vases and Flowers. French Private Collection

A petite 19th-century canister once used to store a smoker's personal supply of opium paste. A keepsake from a bygone era, the small box is formed of brass with a copper interior and...

A small brass canister once used to store a smoker's personal supply of opium paste. A keepsake from a bygone era, the small box dates to the 19th century and is decorated with etchi...

A petite 19th-century canister once used to store a smoker's personal supply of opium paste. Perfecting line and form, the small box has a balanced, oval form shaped of white brass (...

An exceptional, fine and impressive antique Chinese silver vinaigrette in the form of a purse; an addition to our silver boxes collection This excep...

A rare carved antique Chinese lapis lazuli stone snuff bottle of the late Qing Dynasty. Finely carved from a solid piece of genuine lapis lazuli exhibiting rich and vibrant blue tone...

An exquisite Chinese Hand Carved Peking Glass Snuff Bottle. Hand painted on the reverse with a dragon chasing the pearl design. This beautiful Chinese snuff bottle is hand made of th...

Sterling silver cigar box marked Hung Chong (or Cheong) & Co., silversmiths & retailers, Canton, China, circa 1860-1930. Classic intertwined ...

Rare beautiful asian chinese snuff bottle hand carved from purple fluorite gemstone. Truly a unique oriental snuff tobacco box from the late Qing Dynasty. Gemstone snuff bottles ar...

Chinese lacquer tobacco box with 24 carat pure gold decorations

Wonderful Chinese box in red, gold and black having a Chinoiserie painted design on embossed leather with original brass hardware. There's a removable metal liner and the interior is...

Monochrome Chinese Fish Scale cloisonne is long famed for it's high quality of craftsmanship and understated elegance. A staple of interior design...

A very rare and exquisite asian glass Chinese snuff bottle from the late Qing Dynasty. This exceptional snuff bottle bears a later Qianlong mark and is designed in the iconic famille...

This spinach jade snuff bottle has a geometric appearance with its squared silhouette and ledge that is ergonomically designed to accommodate a finger or a thumb while using the bott...

Chinese export silver vinaigrette. Rectangular with hinged cover. Scenes of indigenous life in low relief. Interior gilt with hinged grill; engraved presentation on cover: “E. E. W. ...

A petite bronze canister once used to store a smoker's personal supply of opium paste. A keepsake from a bygone era, the small box dates to the early 20th century and provided an air...

A petite bronze canister once used to store a smoker's personal supply of opium paste. A keepsake from a bygone era, the small box dates to the early 20th century and provided an air...

19th century Chinese cloisonné enamel brass trinket box.

Chinese, Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), 19th century. A grouping or instant collection of antique porcelain enameled salt boxes. Each box is decorated with immortal being riding the fabl...

This intriguing Chinese zhadou is intricately carved of fine cinnabar lacquer. A work of exceptional artistry, this covered bowl is adorned with an intricately carved floral motif on all surfaces, including the cover and the wide rim. Also known as a cuspidor or spittoon, this rare container would have been used by members of the imperial family and scholar- officials at the court. Carved during the Kangxi period (1662-1722), this charming piece exhibits the high detail and charm associated with items from that period, making it a true treasure, Early 18th century (Kangxi dynasty) Measures: 6 ¼” wide x 3 ¼” high Cinnabar has been revered for its color all over the world. It has been found in the royal burial chambers of the Mayas, in the rituals of India, and in the ruins of ancient Greece and Rome. In China, cinnabar and gold were the two most important elements in alchemy. Mined since the Neolithic Age, cinnabar is the ore of mercury, and as such, it can be incredibly toxic, especially when mining. In fact, during the Roman Empire, miners at Spain’s Almadén mine in Spain were frequently exposed to mercury fumes, and the subsequent, often fatal, sickness was considered an occupational hazard. The most popular known use of cinnabar is in Chinese carved lacquer-ware, a technique that is believed to have originated in the Song Dynasty, in which cinnabar is ground to a powder and added to clear lacquer. As with mining, there was inherent danger of mercury poisoning for those who carved the lacquer, as mercury was also released into the air when artisans ground the pigments. Most antique cinnabar...

An impressive Chinese export solid silver dragon box, crafted circa 1880–1920 from substantial heavy-gauge silver, 900 purity and intended for the Western market. The rectangular fo...

A ruyi-shaped Shakudo-style erotic tobacco or snuff box, relief-decorated with silvered applied figures Possibly Jakarta (Batavia), first half 18th century Measures: H. 2.2 x L. 12.1 x W. 8 cm This box is very much in the Dutch taste, for the illustration is after a print with a legend reading “L’oiseau sans cage. Prenez, belle, mon oiseau. C’est le plus doux présent que je puisse vous faire. Pour les autres oiseaux, la cage d’ordinaire est une espèce de tombeau. Mais le mien semble prendre une nouvelle vie, Lorsqu’il sera dans la cage de mon aimable Silvie.” The erotic message is as clear as can be. In Dutch culture the verb ‘vogelen’ (catching a bird) is another word for having sex and a bird escaping from his cage indicates loss of chastity. The lady with the bare breasts, while making the sign of sealed lips to the lady behind her, who is pointing towards heaven, seems to be caressing the bird held in the sleeping man’s groin. 17th century Dutch pictures...

Chinese Brass Box with Chinese Letter Inscriptions on the Top.