Over the course of the two hundred year period snuff bottles were fashionable, their demand spread from the royals exclusively down to the entire Qing Dynasty society. Because they represent Chinese calligraphy, painting, ceramics, enameled works, and more, today snuff bottles are among the most sought after and collected types of Chinese artwork.

Despite their tiny stature, there is high demand for Chinese snuff bottles at auction. Prices may range from $150 to $10,000 depending on the age, material, or other rare qualities of the individual piece.

For a better sense of what these miniature splendors are selling for, we’ve compiled a list of realized prices from the Invaluable price database, broken down by popular snuff bottle types.

Porcelain

Porcelain bottles were popular until the 18th century. Once non-royal society started buying snuff bottles, porcelain served as a cheaper material to use to make bottles in mass quantities. Porcelain bottles were typically made using molds, and could be enameled, carved, and glazed.

1: Old Chinese Porcelain Snuff Bottle

Lot 54, Foreign Chinese Art Auctions (July 2014)
Estimated Price: $400-$600
Realized Price: $150

2: Chinese Porcelain Snuff Bottle

Lot 51, Foreign Chinese Art Auctions (July 2014)
Estimated Price: $250-450
Realized Price: $250

3: Chinese Enameled Porcelain Snuff Bottle

Lot 67, Millea Bros. (December 2014)
Estimated Price: $400-600
Realized Price: $3,500

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Enameled (Qianlong Period)

Enameled snuff bottles from the Qianlong Dynasty are particularly favored by many collectors due to their diverse shapes, lively colors, and motifs representing things like health, good luck, and wealth. Enameled bottles from this period or sooner, said snuff bottle collector Vincent Fausone, Jr. in an interview with Collector’s Weekly, typically have the highest price tags – especially those made of glass – because of how difficult the process was create them.

4: Qianlong-Style Enamel on Copper Snuff Bottle

Lot 84, I.M. Chait (March 2015)
Estimated Price: $200-300
Realized Price: $350

5: Chinese Snuff Bottle

Lot 54140, Antique Comfort Fine Art Gallery (May 2015)
Estimated Price: $200-400
Realized Price: $600

6: Chinese Enameled Snuff Bottle

Lot 11, Altair Auctions (September 2014)
Estimated Price: $1,000-2,000
Realized Price: $900

7: Painted Enamel Glass Snuff Bottle

Lot 19, Wichita Auctioneers (July 2015)
Estimated Price: $1,000-2,000
Realized Price: $850

8: Chinese Enameled and Gilt Snuff Bottle

Lot 4, Altair Auctions (March 2014)
Estimated Price: $3,000-5,000
Realized Price: $1,600

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Painted Interior

Inside-painted snuff bottles were introduced in the late 1800s. These items have pictures and calligraphy painted on the inside part of the glass, and to make these, the artist had to reach through the opening and work on the polished surface within. Due to laborious technique involved, these too can fetch high bids at auction.

9: Massive Chinese Inside Painted Glass Snuff Bottle

Lot 139, Elegance Auctioneers (November 2014)
Estimated Price: $400-800
Realized Price: $325

10: Chinese Inside Painted Glass Snuff Bottle

Lot 285, Morris and Son Auctions (September 2014)
Estimated Price: $600-800
Realized Price: $400

11: Inside-Painted Glass “Landscape” Snuff Bottle

Lot 5109, Phoebus (January 2013)
Estimated Price: TWD80,000-112,000
Realized Price: TWD160,000

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Jadeite & Jade

The two types of jade used to make snuff bottles, nephrite jade and jadeite, are similar in hardness and have significant meanings (such as courage, wisdom, and compassion) to the Chinese.

 

12: Chinese Jadeite Snuff Bottle

Lot 240, Antique Reader (June 2015)
Estimated Price: $1,500-2,000
Realized Price: $2,000

13: 19th-Century Chinese Jadeite Snuff Bottle

Lot 154, Antique Reader (April 2015)
Estimated Price: $3,000-4,000
Realized Price: $2,900

14: 19th-Century Chinese Jadeite Snuff Bottle

Lot 264, Antique Reader (June 2013)
Estimated Price: $1,000-2,000
Realized Price: $3,360

15: Chinese Jadeite Snuff Bottle with GIA

Lot 62, Antique Reader (September 2014)
Estimated Price: $800-1,500
Realized Price: $4,750

16: Old Chinese Jade Snuff Bottle

Lot 49, Foreign Chinese Art Auctions (July 2014)
Estimated Price: $450-650
Realized Price: $300

17: Carved Jade Snuff Bottle

Lot 1118089, Kimball’s Auction & Estate Services (November 2013)
Estimated Price: $200-400
Realized Price: $1,100

18: White Jade Snuff Bottle

Lot 117, Wichita Auctioneers (January 2014)
Estimated Price: $800-1,000
Realized Price: $3,500

19: White Jade Snuff Bottle, 1820-1860

Lot 8073, Bonhams (September 2013)
Realized Price: $7,500

20: Chinese Jade Snuff Bottle

Lot 7330, Kaminski Auctions (January 2014)
Estimated Price: $600-900
Realized Price: $8,500

21: Chinese Jade Snuff Bottle

Lot 7405, Kaminski Auctions (January 2014)
Estimated Price: $600-900
Realized Price: $10,000

Find Chinese snuff bottles and other Asian works of art in upcoming auctions this month.