Lot Essay
This bottle can be confidently attributed to the master glass-carver, Li Junting, one of the most important and innovative of all Qing glass-carvers. Li's bottles are among the finest of the low-relief works of the school he headed, believed to have been at Yangzhou, and this superb example is no exception.
An important glass vase by Li was sold in our New York rooms, 22 March 1991, lot 504. Other works attributable to Li include two further bottles from the J & J Collection, nos. 402 and 403, illustrated by Moss, Graham, Tsang, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle. The J & J Collection, Vol. 2. A red overlay glass bottle carved with a similar design to the present example is in the collection of Denis Low, and is illustrated by R. Kleiner, Treasures from the Sanctum of Enlightened Respect, p. 146, no. 126. See, also, three red overlay glass bottles attributed to Li Junting carved with similar figural designs, illustrated by Moss, Graham, Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles, Vol. 5, Glass, pp. 745-50, nos. 1032-34, where the artist is dealt with in greater detail.
An important glass vase by Li was sold in our New York rooms, 22 March 1991, lot 504. Other works attributable to Li include two further bottles from the J & J Collection, nos. 402 and 403, illustrated by Moss, Graham, Tsang, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle. The J & J Collection, Vol. 2. A red overlay glass bottle carved with a similar design to the present example is in the collection of Denis Low, and is illustrated by R. Kleiner, Treasures from the Sanctum of Enlightened Respect, p. 146, no. 126. See, also, three red overlay glass bottles attributed to Li Junting carved with similar figural designs, illustrated by Moss, Graham, Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles, Vol. 5, Glass, pp. 745-50, nos. 1032-34, where the artist is dealt with in greater detail.