1760-1860

The use of four-clawed dragons as a decorative motif suggests that this bottle was made for use by a member of the nobility. It is very likely that the bottle would have been made by Imperial order for distribution to the ennobled. In the Chinese bureaucratic system it was traditional for the emperor to distribute gifts of snuff bottles at festivities, or for members of different levels of society to exchange or gift either to gain access to influential people, or to show gratitude for support given or favors granted. There were many porcelain bottles enameled with four-clawed dragons produced by the Daoguang Emperor as favors to distribute to the nobility, although with an unmarked bottles such as this, there is no reason why a noble entitled to the four-clawed dragon should not have ordered his own bottles.