tiny genies: Chinese snuff bottles at the Met

In the first translation of the 1001 Nights, Aladdin and his magical genie actually came from 'a city of cities in China'. Our family's collection of snuff bottles, made of porcelain and red lacquer, seemed like just the kind of vessel that might contain a pocket-sized version of the wish-granting jinn.

Red lacquer bottle showing children at play
Metropolitan Museum of Art