1780-1860

Jadeite was sourced from a remote part of Burma and first attracted the attention, and then the passion of the Qianlong emperor, although regular supplies of the stone had to await the normalization of previously uneasy relations between China and Burma in 1784. In the latter part of the Qianlong reign, snuff bottles were regularly made of jadeite for, and at the Court, and its ongoing popularity may be seen in a series of porcelain bottles and other wares with glazes imitating jadeite made during the Daoguang period (Moss, Graham and Tsang, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle. The J & J Collection, New York/Tokyo, 1993, no. 251). The Palace and other glassworks also made bottles that simulated jadeite in both color and weight.

The color combination of the present bottle is unusual with its dark emerald and apple-green mottling, but the shape and fine hollowing suggest an early example. The high gloss polish on the bottle helps to exemplify the color and translucency of the stone.