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

Belfort Collection, 1986. 

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. 729.

There is a partially polished out chip to the lip and a further area of possible polishing to the tinny nibbles on the outer lip. There is also one polished repair to a chip from the foot. There is one crack running down the side of the bottle, extending from one main side towards the shoulder and to the small side almost to the base. The overall condition is otherwise good.
"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."

It is sometimes difficult to judge whether additional colour has been added to the outer layer of glass, or whether it is a case of the sandwiched layer coming to the surface. Here appears to be an instance of the sandwiched colour emerging at the neck and shoulders, bringing it either to the surface or close to it. Observing the mouth from above, it is obvious that while some of the sandwiched layer is caught between the inner and outer layers, parts of it emerge at the surface of the outer neck. This indicates extensive lapidary work in this area after the bottle was removed from the mould.

The colouring of this example is part of a broad range sometimes resembling agate or jasper. Reference to this range may have been the intention of early writers mentioning glass bottles resembling agate, but such bottles are as likely to have evolved from the glassmaker’s art as they are to have been inspired by minerals.

Feathering of the colours is an interesting feature of this example. It exhibits an effect similar to that of old end-papers for books, in which different colours are laid on the paper’s surface in lines, then a feather run across them, dragging the colours into one other. It may have been achieved in a similar manner, bands of molten colour being dragged across each other (although not with a feather) prior to the outer layer being added.