Courtesy Joe Rosson and Helaine Fendelman

This red bottle is made from cinnabar, a type of lacquer.

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DEAR HELAINE AND JOE: Please find enclosed photos of an antique opium bottle. It is approximately 2-3/4 inches tall. I had someone interpret the date on the bottom and was told it was 1664. The top has a small spoon attached to it. I would appreciate any information you can provide. Thank you.

— C.R., Fort Myers

DEAR C.R.: We are not quite sure why, but many people are fascinated with objects that can be associated with opium. This, of course, is an insidious drug that has caused death and destruction wherever it has been widely used.

We often see things called “opium pipes,” “opium scales” and, yes, “opium bottles” that actually have no connection to the drug. The bottle in today’s question is actually a snuff bottle and has nothing whatever to do with opium.

Snuff bottles were primarily used by the Chinese during the Qing (or Ch’ing) Dynasty (1644 to 1912). They contained powdered snuff and had a small spoon attached to the top that was used to remove the product from the bottle. At this time, smoking in China was forbidden, but snuff was allowed because it was considered to be something of a medicine and used to treat colds, headaches and stomach disorders.

This particular bottle is made from cinnabar, which is a type of lacquer that is a vermilion-red in color. Lacquer is made from tree sap, and it is applied layer after layer (sometimes as many as 200 layers) over a wooden or metal base until it is thick enough to be carved.

Lacquer items have been made in China for thousands of years, but the bottle belonging to C.R. is just a youngster — and yes, the 1664 date on the bottom is not an indication of when this piece was made, but probably refers to the reign of the Emperor Kangxi (1662-1722).

During the Qing Dynasty, snuff bottles became a fashion accessory, and because the snuff was considered to be a medicine, these bottles were typically carried around on the person of the owner. They made a statement about the taste and wealth of the person who owned them, and wealthy Chinese competed to see who could display the highest-quality snuff bottle.

Chinese snuff bottles can be made from agate, jade, ivory, tortoiseshell, quartz, ceramic, glass and metal (sometimes precious metal such as silver or gold). The variety of snuff bottles available is enormous and they make a fascinating display when enough of them are collected.

Looking at the photographs supplied by C.R., it is fairly obvious that this bottle can be no older than the early 20th century, and may be as late as the mid-20th century. The carving itself is rather crude and the brass base metal is very indicative of a later bottle.

We have no idea how or when this bottle came into C.R.’s possession, and our task may have been easier if we had been provided with a little ownership history. However, cinnabar snuff bottles of this type are being made today, and reproductions have been made for sale to tourists for many decades.

We feel this piece is probably from the second quarter of the 20th century — or later — and has a modest insurance-replacement value of less than $100.

Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson are the authors of “Price It Yourself” (HarperResource, $19.95). Contact them at Treasures in Your Attic, PO Box 27540, Knoxville, TN 37927. E-mail: treasures@knology.net.