A MINIATURE AMBER-BROWN GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

Collection of Graham Thewlis.
Clare Lawrence.
Hugh M. Moss Ltd., Hong Kong, 1990.

Robert Kleiner, Boda Yang, and Clarence F. Shangraw, Chinese Snuff Bottles: A Miniature Art from the Collection of George and Mary Bloch, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1994, cat. no. 87.
National Museum of Singapore, Singapore, 1994-1995.

Graham Thewlis and Clare Lawrence, The Thewlis Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles, Hong Kong, 1990, p. 58, no. 89.
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. 779.

Two minute chips to the outer footrim.
"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."

In the Thewlis catalogue it was suggested that this glass was crizzled. It is not, but the impression of crizzling is easily gained from the frosted finish of the interior. The suggestion that it was carved from a solid block, however, seems likely to be accurate, since no signs of it having been blown are evident.

Although reasonably capacious owing to its form, this is indubitably a miniature. As technically assured as any bottle known, it exhibits perfect formal integrity matched to faultless detailing.

There are possible indications only of a palace provenance, neither of them sufficiently convincing to allow a firm attribution. The first is the colour, typical of a range of amber-brown glass produced from the earliest years of the imperial glassworks through into the nineteenth century (Sale 8, lot 1046 is a similar colour). The second is the typically courtly style of the mask-and-ring handles. The precisely circular rings may indicate a relatively early date, but the fact that these rings may have begun to be extended into oval and then exaggeratedly elongated shapes during the Qianlong period would not preclude the continued use of standard circular rings. In the snuff-bottle arts, once a feature was established it would have remained in the potential repertoire, although changing fashion might affect how frequently it was employed.

Like Sale 8, lot 1028, this is an example in which the sumptuous stopper, again with an unusual but impressively deep collar, plays a more vital role in the overall aesthetic equation. The pearl was worn as a hat finial on the emperor’s formal attire and would be associated with him, pearls being used as stoppers on imperial snuff bottles for this reason. This lovely little bottle has a presence far beyond its tiny size due to the combination of faultless execution and regal stopper.