A RED OVERLAY 'SNOWFLAKE' GROUND GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE

of elongated oval form, overlaid in ruby red on a dense 'snowflake' ground, finely carved on one face with a fortified pavilion flanked by pine trees amongst waves, a crane with a counter in its beak flying above, and on the other face with a small pavilion floating on clouds emerging from the mouth of a toad, above two bats and the sun rising from waves

Kardos Collection.
Sotheby's New York, 1st July 1985, lot 26.

Vancouver Centennial Museum, 1977.

Canadian Collector, October 1970.
Mary Morrison, 'Snuff Bottle Exhibition at Vancouver', Arts of Asia, January-February 1978, pp. 88-93, col. pl. 10 and fig. 19.
Robert Kleiner, 'Saleroom News. Chinese Sales at Sotheby's', Arts of Asia, November-December, 1985, p. 135.

Good condition.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

An almost identical bottle is illustrated by Robert Hall, Chinese Snuff Bottles, Masterpieces from the Rietberg Museum Zurich, Zurich, 1993, p. 50, no. 19, where the author comments that "This is one of a small group of powerful bottles made in the eighteenth century which are characterized by their elongated pear shape, beautifully precise carving, and deep red colouring which is due to the exceptional thickness of the overlaid red layer." Other similarly carved red overlay bottles are illustrated by Bob C. Stevens, The Collector's Book of Snuff Bottles, New York, 1976, no. 205 and by Gerard Tsang and Hugh Moss, Snuff Bottles of the Ch'ing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 1978, p. 64, no. 54.

For a full explanation of the symbolism of the subject matter of this bottle, which in general expresses good birthday wishes, and longevity, see Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles. The Mary and George Bloch Collection, Vol. 5, Part 2, Hong Kong, 2002, p. 522, no. 921, where a similarly carved blue overlay bottle is discussed.