Chinese Carved Snuff Bottle

This Qing dynasty style snuff bottle stands 3" high and is hand-carved from layers of turquoise-hued lacquer. Each layer of lacquer is applied, dried, and carved one at a time.

It takes a very long time and creates intricate depth. But part of the bottle's beauty is that during this process it may be ruined by a tiny slip of the knife.

Check price and availability at National Geographic Online.