A research on the design analysis of snuff bottles in Chinese culture

Culture, as a definition, is the sum of common beliefs, moral values, codes, traditions, and language. Archeological findings show the relationship between everyday-life items and culture since prehistoric times. It has often been seen that the specific values of a nation or a community are artistically reflected on common objects. Chinese art, which is considered one of the oldest art traditions in the world, has produced artworks to reflect and cherish Chinese culture. In this context, it can be said that snuff bottles, are small items of art reflecting the cultural characteristics of the period of the Qing Dynasty. The bottles which were influenced by East-West cultural interaction capture social, cultural, and belief systems prevalent at the time in the country. The possible reasons for the society during this epoch to adopt snuff bottles as a means to communicate symbolic meaning was that these items were considered an accessory. With their wide variety of design and material, the affordability of these bottles the desires and demands of the population had a strong influence on their shape and design. In the thesis, the transformation of snuff bottles into socially and culturally important everyday objects is analyzed, from their humble origins of a simple tobacco container. A brief outline of Chinese history, culture, and art is given in the first part. The snuff bottles that arose in the Qing Dynasty reflect the evolution of Chinese art in this period. Therefore, understanding the fundamentals of Chinese art and culture is required before trying to understand the snuff bottle art. In the second part, the history, the attributes, the materials used, the meanings, and the cultural background of the adorning symbols of the snuff bottle is examined. The effect of snuff bottles on people's daily life and their current uses are also analyzed. In the last part, in accordance with the findings of this research, genuine designs are introduced which reflect the Qing Dynasty, which are faithful to the attributes of Chinese snuff bottle art. The ceramic state of the onyx stone is used to realize those designs. Whilst reflecting the specific structural character of the onyx stone, symbols of the epoch are decorated over the ceramic surface. This collection is designed and reflects present day's manufacturing abilities.