A WHITE JADE SNUFF BOTTLE, CONVERTED FROM A HOOKAH MOUTHPIECENephrite of even white color and with a good polish. China, Qing Dynasty A carved band is separating the cylindrical bottom from the bulb-shaped upper section. The stopper is carved in the shape of a miniature Yuhuchunping standing on a base, with an inlaid pearl on top, and has been added at some point in time as well as the inlaid bottom plate, which is carved of organic material, to convert the mouthpiece into a snuff bottle. A gold and gemstone-inlaid jade hookah mouthpiece of this type with curved tip described as Mughal, c. 1675-1700, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, is illustrated by S. Markel, The World of Jade, Bombay, c. 1992, p. 3, no. 3, where the author notes that "Mughal nobles preferred to use their own mouthpiece when smoking from a communal water-pipe". Shape: The bottle still shows the original mouthpiece shapeHollowing: Very well hollowedMouth, neck and lip: The opening is quite large, owed to the original purpose of this bottleBase: Inlaid base, carved of organic material Stopper: Carved of mottled nephrite, old spoonHeight of the bottle with stopper: 8.2 cm.Width of the mouth: 5 mm.Width of the neck: 7 mm.Condition: Good, with several tiny stress line in the mineral, and one tiny chip to inner lipProvenance: Old Austrian private collection, acquired before 1930, thence by descent; the conversion from a mouthpiece into a snuff bottle must have been taken place before the bottle was acquired by this collectorLiterature comparison: Fine Chinese Ceramics, Jades and Works of Art. Christies, New York, September 19th, 2007, lot 110. (for an original mouthpiece)清代白玉“水烟嘴”鼻烟壺品相良好，内沁，唇内有一道小裂縫奧地利私人老收藏，1930年前購入，家族傳承; 從水烟嘴到鼻烟壺的改變應該是發生在這位藏家購買之前