A TURQUOISE-BLUE GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE QING DYNASTY, 18TH / 19TH CENTURY

Robert Hall, 1985.

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. 85.
National Museum of Singapore, Singapore, 1994-1995.

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. 782.

Barely perceptible nibble to the inner lip. Otherwise, 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."

The lovely turquoise-blue of this example resembles the colour valued most highly in the gemstones themselves (see under no. 693). Although formally related to Sale 1, lot 70, the end result is distinctly different. Of the same modified meiping(‘prunus-blossom vase’) the similarly exaggeratedly narrow base is in this case curved inwards to offset the outward curve of the shoulders and create an ‘s’-shaped profile. The overall form is, in this case, then compressed, and this popular courtly shape is one of the factors to encourage a tentative imperial attribution.

Apart from the unusual and eccentric form and beautiful colour, the only other notable feature of this bottle is the addition of mask handles. These are of the standard courtly style, with a large nose separating two bulging hemispherical eyes beneath curled eyebrows. The ends of the eyebrows also form part of the regular pattern of curls that frame the forehead of the beast with its central, vertically ovoid bulge. This decorative formula appears on quartz, other hardstones, and glass made at or for the court, and is the most common formalisation of this ubiquitous courtly feature. The slight elongation of the rings may indicate a mid-Qing date rather than one from the earlier part of the Qianlong reign, and the second half of the reign offers itself as the most likely date of manufacture.