A BLUE OVERLAY WHITE GLASS 'BAT AND LONGEVITY' SNUFF BOTTLE QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG / JIAQING PERIOD

Yung Feng, Hong Kong, 1985.

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. 932.

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 rounded rectangular form was a standard of Yangzhou overlay glass from the early nineteenth century, which may have been influenced by the wares of the imperial glassworks—in fact, the Yangzhou school may have been set up by carvers from either the court or workshops where courtly style was known. The contrasting neck-rim is a common feature of the school, and can be traced back to a strong trend in the Qianlong period at the court.

Perhaps this is one of the bottles that inspired Yangzhou carvers to adopt the shape as a standard. If one judges the materials and carving independently of the shape, the bottle would fit comfortably into imperial style for the Qianlong period, albeit probably not the earlier years. Indeed, the relatively narrower mouth might indicate the latter part of the reign, but there are always risks attendant upon reading too much into a single feature on an isolated bottle. A little more leeway has been left, however, to allow for an early nineteenth-century continuation of Qianlong style.