Snuff Bottle

This exquisite example of a figural snuff bottle is one of the finest in the large collection assembled by Alfred Chester Beatty. This man wears the unofficial dress typical of a mandarin, or official, within the imperial court during the Qing Dynasty: a long sleeved-waistcoat over a long robe. Amusingly, he appears to hold a small snuff bottle himself in his outstretched right hand.