A Turquoise-Blue Faceted Glass ‘Double-Gourd’ Snuff Bottle Qing Dynasty, 18th Century

Moss et al., 1996-2009, vol. 5, no. 800.

Tiny burst bubble polished through at the shoulders beneath the neck. The foot with scratches and abrasions, the body much less so, all consistent with long usage. General relative condition: excellent.
"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 bottle represents a straightforward and relatively unsophisticated approach to the faceted double-gourd form; it lacks the slight compression so commonly found in snuff-bottle shapes and its surface is faceted symmetrically, like a gemstone. Nevertheless, it is aesthetically satisfying and one of the most spectacular of all known palace-faceted snuff bottles, its rare and lovely colour being combined with masterly and formally faultless carving superimposed upon a wonderfully elegant shape. The evenness of the faceting and the complete confidence it embodies set the standard for high-quality eighteenth-century faceting.

It has been blown, almost certainly into a mould, but there is an absence of any interior echo of the faceting that would indicate a faceted mould. That distinguishes it from Sale 2, lot 23, where the shape of the mould is reflected inside. Internal lighting on this bottle reveals that the glass at its thickest where the facets meet; conversely, the centre of each facet is of very thin glass, leading us to wonder how many bottles of this sort were destroyed by cutting just a little too deeply to make the facets.

The lovely turquoise-blue colour, which further enhances the overall appeal of this bottle, was neither one of the colours introduced by the Jesuits nor one developed by the Chinese in their subsequent glass renaissance. This very bright, gem-like turquoise existed as a native glass as early as the fourteenth century and would have been one of the colours produced at Boshan prior to the production of snuff bottles, or indeed the Manchus who fostered them.