Chinese Hard Stone Snuff Bottles from Late Qing Dynasty

• Qing Dynasty - The Qing Dynasty was the last imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912. It was established by the Manchu people, who originated from the northeastern region of China. The Qing Dynasty was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China.
• Ming Dynasty - The Ming Dynasty was a ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644. It succeeded the Yuan Dynasty and preceded the Qing Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty was established by Zhu Yuanzhang, a former Buddhist monk who became a rebel leader and eventually overthrew the Mongol Yuan Dynasty. During the Ming Dynasty, China experienced a period of relative stability and prosperity. The government was centralized and bureaucratic, with the emperor at the top of the hierarchy. The Ming Dynasty is known for its cultural achievements, including the development of porcelain, the invention of movable type printing, and the construction of the Great Wall of China.
  
  

• Lapis Lazuli - Lapis lazuli is a semi-precious deep blue coloured stone, sometimes with gold inclusions, that has been used for thousands of years for jewellery, decorative items and decoration.
  
  It is mined in Afghanistan, Siberia, Chile, USA and Burma. The mines in north-eastern Afghanistan are the largest source of lapis lazuli, and have been operating for over 6,000 years.
  
  They were the source of the stone for the ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilsations.

This item has been included into following indexes:

• Chinese snuff bottles, material
  • amethyst 17
  • hardstone 51