A 'REALGAR' SANDWICHED GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE QING DYNASTY, 18TH / 19TH CENTURY

Robert Hall, London, 1984. 

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. 736.

There is one chip to the lip and some tiny nibbles to the outer lip. There are minor surface scratches, barely visible to the naked eye. The snuff bottle is otherwise in overall 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."

A natural evolution of the sandwiched effect is the addition of a second layer of colouring to the outer layer of glass, achieved by rolling on further fragments of colour. This provides considerable extra decorative potential, since it allows for a second layer of pattern to act as a counterpoint to the sandwiched layer. In view of the appeal of this effect so clearly demonstrated here, it is perhaps surprising the technique was not employed more often. It occurs on the series of bottles of which this is a fine example, where realgar-glass is combined with colourless glass in a dynamic and effective way, but is otherwise unusual.

It is possible that the majority of the bottles in this small sub-group were made at the same workshops at about the same time, since most are of similar bulbous form and ample size, usually decorated with realgar-glass splashes, and they are very similarly marked. In view of certain shared features, they are likely to have been made at the imperial glassworks. Irrefutable proof that this form was mould-blown is provided by the obvious, vertical reflection of the gap between the moulds on each narrow side.