IMPERIAL, PALACE WORKSHOPS, BEIJING, 1770-1799

Details

A VERY RARE FAMILLE ROSE-ENAMELED AND CARVED GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE
IMPERIAL, PALACE WORKSHOPS, BEIJING, 1770-1799
The flattened, rounded, opaque white glass bottle is well carved in relief with the main design elements and painted in bright enamels to complete the subjects. One side is carved and enameled with a colorful fenghuang (phoenix) standing on pierced rockwork beside blossoming peonies. The reverse is similarly detailed with a fenghuang in flight above lingzhi and peony growing amidst pierced rockwork, all beneath the sun, partially obscured by clouds. The foot is inscribed in regular script, Guyue xuan (Ancient Moon Pavilion).
2½ in. (6.4 cm.) high, jadeite stopper

Provenance

Private collection, United States, acquired before 1970.

Special notice

Items which contain rubies or jadeite originating in Burma (Myanmar) may not be imported into the U.S. As a convenience to our bidders, we have marked these lots with Y. Please be advised that a purchaser¹s inability to import any such item into the U.S. or any other country shall not constitute grounds for non-payment or cancellation of the sale. With respect to items that contain any other types of gemstones originating in Burma (e.g., sapphires), such items may be imported into the U.S., provided that the gemstones have been mounted or incorporated into jewellery outside of Burma and provided that the setting is not of a temporary nature (e.g., a string).

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Lot Essay

An ovoid bottle from the Mary and George Bloch Collection carved with a similar continuous scene of a standing phoenix amidst peony, lingzhi and pierced rocks beneath a cloud-veiled sun, is illustrated by H. Moss, V. Graham and K.B. Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles, The Mary and George Bloch Collection, Vol. 6, Part 1, 'Arts of the Fire', Hong Kong, 2008, no. 1101. The authors note that the scenes on the bottle evoke a number of auspicious wishes including the wish for longevity suggested by the lingzhi and rockwork, the peonies representing wealth, and the fenghuang gazing at the sun (Danfeng chaoyang), symbolizing the opportunity to prove ones talents.
A slightly smaller, but similar glass snuff bottle decorated in relief with a phoenix and chrysanthemums, rather than peonies, which also bears a Guyue xuan mark is in the collection of Sir Percival David, accession number 804.

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