清十八 / 十九世紀 透明仿琥珀料瓜式鼻煙壺連煙碟一套兩件

Robert Hall，倫敦，1987年

Hugh Moss、Victor Graham 及曾嘉寶，《A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection》，卷5，香港，2002年，編號701

Bottle: Two minute elongated air bubbles burst at the surface on the base. Good condition. Dish: Some tiny nibbles around the lip and one small chip on the edge of the base. Some abrasions to the uppermost surface.
"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."

The glass from which this bottle was made may have been intended to imitate amber, as bears a definite resemblance to the pure brown variety of this material, but there is no way to know with certainty.

This compressed egg form, so obvious for a snuff bottle, is unexpectedly rare. This form is seen in a few glass bottles, the occasional crystal or other hardstone bottle, and some enamelled porcelain bottles of the Daoguang period made, apparently, for the court. Nestling very comfortably in the hand, it is a tactile delight with which to play. Sparsely practical, it is capacious without unnecessary weight in the way of foot, neck, or decoration, and also of a very simple form to make. The glassblower has simply blown a bubble and slightly compressed it, leaving the rest to the dictates of physics. The carver has had only to tidy the neck, giving it a neat and narrow concavity, and polish it. There is no indication of whether it was blown into a mould or not, and it may be another of those forms that could as easily have been freely blown.

The matching dish has been associated with it only recently, although it complements it well both in colour and in its simplicity. The foot is not surrounded by the usual protruding foot rim but is a protruding flat circle of the simplest kind.