A Bluish Emerald-Green Glass ‘Butterfly’ Snuff Bottle Qing Dynasty, 18th / 19th Century

Jade House, Hong Kong, 1985.

Moss et al., 1996-2009, vol. 5, no. 852.

One barely perceptible nibble to the outer lip. A crack in the glass running from just below the top of one ring handle up along the mask and out above towards the neck. There is a tiny crack to the right of the other mask. Please note that the image in the catalogue photo is incorrect. There is no collar.
"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."

Snuff bottles in this colour of glass are rarely carved from solid blocks, probably because no real sapphire bottle of this size would have existed, and therefore there was no need to emulate or imitate such a bottle. Sale 6, lot 201 is a parallel example in sapphire blue. Both bottles have roughened interiors, but the most telling indication of a mid-Qing period (as opposed to the Qianlong designation the excellent carving might justify) is provided by the style of the mask-and-ring handles. Beneath typically courtly taotieheads there are exaggeratedly long oval rings visually filling the narrow sides. These rings tend to be circular from the first half of the eighteenth century; the elongated form appears to have proliferated in the nineteenth century, having evolved, probably from the mid-Qing period through the second half of the Qianlong era and into the Daoguang era. (Of course, the older standard would have persisted as an option; plenty of small circular rings appear on bottles we can confidently attribute to the nineteenth century.)

The finishing of the ground plane here is perfect, and the quality of the carving is fine. But that does not guarantee an origin in the imperial workshops, as many artisans outside the court were capable of producing the best when patrons demanded the best.