Stone Snuff Bottle with Red Coral and Turquoise Colored Stopper Top

Small, airtight snuff bottles were created in China after Jesuit missionaries introduced powdered tobacco in the mid 17th century. They were designed to better suit the humid climate than the snuff boxes common in Europe. As snuff-taking became a fashionable pastime, the bottles evolved into elaborate accessories which today are collectors’ items. 
 
Most of our collection, like this piece, are not particularly elaborate however and after consulting an appraiser, we confirmed such visiting antique shops where common looking snuff bottles were not selling for very much. Only two of ours were singled out for a higher price. This was not one of them.
 
We believe this bottle is stone, most likely agate. The stopper seems to be topped by a bulbous bead of red coral with a turquoise stone beneath it, although we cannot confirm this. The interior appears clean as does the stopper spoon, which may be plastic. We do believe the stopper is original.
 
There is a notch on the side of one of the faces of the bottle, as shown in photos. There is some dirty under the red coral stone atop the stopper. Otherwise this piece seems to be in very good vintage condition. 
 
We believe our grandmother inherited this from the Burr sisters who visited China in the 1920s and 1930s. It appears never used for anything other than decorative purposes.
 
H 3” x L 1 1/2” x D 3/4”                       
 
Disclaimer: We have tried to make sure colors shown in photos are representative of the real colors of each item. We have tried to identify all imperfections in descriptions, but we may have missed some. If you are unhappy with your purchase, let us know.