IMPERIAL GLASSWORKS, BEIJING, 1740-1800

Details

A RED-OVERLAY GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE
IMPERIAL GLASSWORKS, BEIJING, 1740-1800
Of tall, flattened, ovoid form, the bottle is carved through the opaque red overlay to the bubble-suffused milky white ground, depicting on each side a shou character between a confronting pair of stylized kui dragons. The narrow sides are carved with monster-mask handles above archaistic scrolls.
3 1/8 in. (7.8 cm.) high, jadeite stopper

Provenance

Marjorie Dillon Lonsdale (1920-2005) Collection, Sarasota, Florida.

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).

If you wish to view the condition report of this lot, please sign in to your account.

View condition report

Lot Essay

The design of this bottle is a classic example of Qianlong-period archaism. The confronted kui dragons, derived from earlier bronze decorations, are transformed into a bold contemporary design without losing any of their archaic resonance. This archaistic penchant is typical of the Palace workshops during the reign of the Qianlong emperor. The actual depiction of the dragons on this bottle, however, is somewhat stylized and unusual, as more typical renditions show the dragon in a classic, squared form enclosing a shou medallion.

A red-overlay imperial snuff bottle of similar date with confronted archaistic kui dragons enclosing a shou medallion was sold at Christie's New York, 15-16 September 2011, lot 1192.

More from Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art

View All