A SIX-COLOUR OVERLAY GLASS 'EGGPLANT' SNUFF BOTTLE YUZHI SEAL MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG

Parish Watson and Co. Inc., New York.
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Schoen.
Collection of Joseph Baruch Silver.
Robert Hall, 1995.

Exhibition of Chinese Snuff Bottles of the 17th and 18th Centuries from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Schoen, China Institute in America, New York, 1952-1953, cat. no. 27.
Joseph Baruch Silver, Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Collection of Joseph Baruch Silver, Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 1987.
Honolulu Academy of Arts, Honolulu, 1988.
Robert Hall, Chinese Snuff Bottles VII: The Art of an Imperial Addiction, Robert Hall Gallery, London, 1995, cat. no. 12.
Christopher Sin, Humphrey Hui, and Po Ming Kwong, ed., A Congregation of Snuff Bottle Connoisseurs: An Exhibition of Chinese Snuff Bottles, Tsui Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1996, cat. no. 51.
Shirarezaru bijutsu kogei no sekai: kagi tabako ire tokubetsuten [Snuff containers. A little-known artistic craft of the world], Tabako to Shio no Hakubutsukan, Tokyo, 1998, p. 27.

Journal of the International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society, Spring 1994, p. 34.
Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection, vol. 5, Hong Kong, 2002, no. 989.

Minute chip to the petal tip of the large yellow flower. Two chips on the stem and leaves of the blue flower, same side.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The carving style relates this bottle to a group of multi-colour single overlays datable to the second half of the Qianlong period (Sale 6, lot 249 is another example). The group is characterised by the use of certain colours—including some rather alarming combinations of bright pink and turquoise blue—the predominance of floral motifs, colours being blended into one another, and a detailed style resulting in a busy, textured surface.

This bottle, the baskets of flowers, and such masterpieces as Sale 4, lot 104 and  Sale 6, lot 249 suggest an imperial connection. Evidence from the archives indicates that several Qing Emperors ordered certain bottles to be repeated. It is possible that the Qianlong emperor ordered this one to test a carver’s skills and, having approved it, ordered more of the same design but without the yuzhi mark. One other bottle, in a private collection in Florida, is almost identical to this but lacks the reign mark and can have come only from the same design/carving team.