A WHITE JADE SNUFF BOTTLE QING DYNASTY, 18TH / 19TH CENTURY

Kaynes-Klitz Collection.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 16th November 1989, lot 132. 

Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection, vol. 1, Hong Kong, 1996, no. 169.

There are two miniscule nicks to the inner lip, but the overall condition is otherwise 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 example has a number of features in common with Sale 1, lot 59. It is of identical material, a white nephrite with tiny flecks of chalkier white reminiscent of the snowflake ground on glass overlay bottles; it is of plain oval form (although the elegantly flared neck is absent from the other example, and this is a fatter oval); and it is and extremely well hollowed. The thinness of the walls is reminiscent of the Hindustan-style jades that became an obsession with the Qianlong emperor, who set up a special workshop in the palace to produce them.

This bottle has a relatively deep foot area for a bottle hollowed so well, suggesting that it may have been designed with the knowledge that it would be displayed in a palace, where stability would be an asset.

The formal integrity, detailing, and finish of this bottle match the extraordinary feat of hollowing; the broader-than-usual oval combined with the broad, widely flared neck make it an unusual and powerful shape for a plain jade snuff bottle.