Wealth of art not to be sniffed at

ONCE only used by emperors and nobles of the Chinese Imperial court, snuff bottles didn't really get due recognition in the Asian art market until the 1980s. They have finally been prized higher, by the Chinese themselves, as collectibles these days.

However, the measure of their value is really mainly only aesthetic, and based on the eye of the beholder, rather than on their antique qualities, says Victor Mun, a collector and former publisher of an art magazine, Dragon Roots, which went defunct in 1995.

Victor and his wife Irene started collecting snuff bottles themselves in the 1980s, sparked by interest among collectors in North America and Europe. "Westerners were the first to appreciate the delicate art of the snuff bottles and were the biggest collectors from the 19th century onwards," he explains. Giving a brief history overview, Mr Mun explains how the art of the decorative snuff bottle had been started during the time of Emperor Kangxi (1654-1722) of the Qing dynasty, and had been contained within the Imperial court for several centuries, explains Mr Mun.