Detail: Time: 10:00 AM

Originally numbering over 1,700 bottles,
the Mary and George Bloch
collection presents the highest calibre
of Chinese snuff bottles made for
the Imperial court and scholar elite.
Snuff (ground tobacco) was
introduced to China in the 17th century
by Western travellers. Given the
humid climate in Asia, the traditional
Western snuffboxes were replaced
by small airtight bottles which kept the
powder in dry condition. Chinese
snuff bottles were produced in a wide
range of materials, from enamelled
metal to carved agate and inside-painted
glass, representing the breadth
of Qing art in miniature form. The Bloch
collection has been extensively
published and exhibited at international
institutions such as the British
Museum and the Hong Kong Museum of Art.