Chinese Snuff Bottles: In the Collection of Mary and George Bloch

English text.; Hardcover (with dust jacket).; 23 x 29,5 cm; 3.4 kg.; 665 pages with colour illustrations throughout.; Used with signs of wear on the exterior and interior. The dust jacket is shows minor edge wear, scuffs and scratches. Interior with minor signs of wear.; Published to accompany an exhibition at the British Museum, June 20th - October 15th 1995.; Chinese snuff bottles rank amongst the finest examples of the decorative arts of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). During the late 17tt and 18th Centuries snuff-taking was one of the more popular court indulgences with the Emperors themselves being documented as keen adherents. The finest craftsmen from all over China and within the Palace workshops in Beijing were charged with producing small snuff-containers of the most exquisite quality in every conceivable material. This catalogue illustrates and discusses more than 400 snuff bottles, including many of the very rare examples enamelled on glass and copper within the Palace workshops. There are complete sections illustrating almost all the varieties of snuff bottle, including those made of jade, hardstone, semi-precious materials such as coral, porcelain and metal. The author discusses these within the context of Chinese decorative arts as a whole and finishes with a section describing a remarkable group of snuff bottles with scenes painted on the interior. Robert Kleiner is a leading authority on Chinese snuff bottles. He has written several books and articles on the subject, curated and organised many important exhibitions and lectured world-wide, both on snuff bottles and on other areas of Chinese art. After ten years in the Chinese Department at Sotheby's he set up his own consultancy in Chinese art and snuff bottles in 1989, based in Old Bond Street, London.…