A LEMON-YELLOW GLASS MINIATURE SNUFF BOTTLE QING DYNASTY / EARLY REPUBLICAN PERIOD

of translucent, slightly streaky yellow glass with a few air bubbles of various sizes, adequately hollowed, with a flat lip and a concave foot; the coral stopper with a vinyl collar

Wing Hing Co, Hong Kong, 1985.

Chinese Snuff Bottles in the Collection of Mary and George Bloch, The British Museum, London, 1995, cat. no. 186.
Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 1997.

Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection, vol. 5, Hong Kong, 2002, no. 760.

The snuff bottle is in overall very good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This bottle was carved from a solid block of yellow glass and belongs to a series of similar small yellow glass bottles. Carving from solid blocks of glass is certainly a feature of what we assume to be Imperial work during the second half of the Qianlong period (see, for instance, a brown-aventurine glass example from the Bloch collection, sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 28th November 2011, lot 59), and once established it would have remained in use until the early twentieth century.