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Hi

Wondering if anyone knows what these are, bought in China in 1940s

The chains on them are too small for necklace. And the chains have a funny looking bracket on the top, like maybe the chain would go around a button?

If they are snuff bottles what are the chains for?...and shouldn't there be a spoon ?

Are they cloisonne?

Essentially what is the original intended use for them?

And thanks for all the experts time and effort which make this forum pretty good place to visit.

I would also like to ask...Reading through the historical posts on here...there were some old threads talking about certain users email addresses... Can you see my email address? Because I would not want my email address to be visible to anyone except the admin...
Thanks

These look like tourist trade cloisonne snuff bottles and other items. These look rather new to me. Did you personally purchase them in the 1940s?

Bokaba

This is a crosspost from another forum, I have asked the guy if he is sure it is from the 40s 50s


Why do they have chains and the hanging bracket on them? What do you hang it from?

Are there any pictures on internet showing the purpose of the chain and bracket in it's intended use?

I believe Chinese snuff bottles fitted to be hung discreetly around the necks of female users locket-style have been around since snuff caught on in Europe in the 18th century. Another type of bottle that comes to mind is the "vinaigrette", which could be stuffed with cotton and used to hold so-called "smelling salts" for those who felt faint, or for non-acrid perfume, for relief from odors associated with the practice of not bathing but a few times per year, which was a more common habit in olden days.

Of course you might consider that these bottles were made at the outset as purely decorative objects to be hung around the neck for show.

Best regards,

Bill H.

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