Clare Chu

The Lotus Pond Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles Clare Chu

The owner of The Lotus Pond Collection first ran into Chinese snuff bottles in an antique store in San Francisco in 1993 and has been fascinated by them ever since.

This collection covers mostly imperial porcelain and enamel on metal snuff bottles from the Qianlong period, mid-Qing imperial glass and jade snuff bottles, and some organic snuff bottles from mid-Qing. Others include bottles from Jingdezhen, Yangzhou and Suzhou Schools, Beijing glasses, inside painted and enamel on glass snuff bottles. There are also samples of Official School agate snuff bottles.

The whole collection covers 500 plus snuff bottles and was named The Lotus Pond Collection as it is the name of the owner’s hometown.

It is not only the quality and beauty of the bottles that will hold appeal for collectors but also the scholarly expertise which is apparent throughout the collection. This reflects the interest that the owner of the collection has in the cultural significance of his collection.

Text in English and Chinese.