A MINIATURE RUBY-RED OVERLAY GLASS 'MALLOW FLOWER' SNUFF BOTTLE QING DYNASTY, 18TH / 19TH CENTURY

Hugh M. Moss Ltd., Hong Kong, 1998.

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. 891.

Air bubbles visible, one elongated in the neck and a few burst to the surface. One chip on the outer edge of a petal on one side.
"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."

Both its size and the combination of ruby-red overlay with a colourless ground relate this miniature to Sale 6, lot 182 and Sale 8, lot 1163. It is equally difficult to date precisely, however, since this popular and imperially symbolic subject (see under Sale 2, lot 153) seems to have been a staple of snuff bottle production at court throughout the eighteenth and well into the nineteenth century.

The formalised flower displays five petals and an inner ring, also of five petals, containing a central ring of formalised stamen. While this is a standard depiction of the flower, the thick, much higher relief rim to the outer petals is unusual.