Assorted Snuff Bottles: Glass, Cinnabar & Mother of Pearl

• Cinnabar - Cinnabar is an intense deep red colouring agent that has been in use for thousands of years, derived from crystalised red mercuric suphide. It is made into a coating by grinding ore into a fine powder then mixing the powder with lacquer made from the sap of the Rhus tree, which grows in East Asia.
  
  As applied to Oriental antiques, cinnabar refers to successive layers of laquer applied to the metal base of an object. Once the coating has dried and hardened, a further layer is applied. The layers continue to be applied until the thickness is 3 to 6 mm, and this may take up to 200 to 300 coats. At this stage, the surface is ready for the carving, that is characteristic of cinnabar items.
  
  Because of the labour required, cinnabar items are usually small, such as vases, boxes, trays and snuff bottles.
  
  However buyers should be aware that the cinnabar technique has been copied using modern plastic type materials that are moulded rather than carved. A close examination of a genuine cinnabar item under a strong magnifying glass or jewellers loupe should show evidence of the many layers that make up its thickness, and possibly tool marks left by the carver.
• Mother-Of-Pearl - Mother-of-pearl, technical name "nacre", is the inner layer of a sea shell. The iridescent colours and strength of this material were widely used in the nineteenth century as an inlay in jewellery, furniture, (especially papier mache furniture) and musical instruments.
  
  In the early 1900s it was used to make pearl buttons. Mother-of-pearl is a soft material that is easily cut or engraved.
  
  Nowadays it is a by-product of the oyster, freshwater pearl mussel and abalone industries.

This item has been included into following indexes:

• Chinese snuff bottles, material
  • cinnabar 30
  • glass 514