A FIVE-COLOUR OVERLAY GLASS 'GOLDFISH' SNUFF BOTTLE QING DYNASTY, 18TH / 19TH CENTURY

Robert Hall, London, 1986.

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. 992.

The overall condition is very good, except for a chip to the tail's tip of the blue goldfish and some burst air bubbles.
"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 ground is very similar to that of Sale 6, lot 249, with a mass of air bubbles of different sizes in colourless glass sparsely scattered with white flakes, giving the impression of a light snowstorm—despite most of the ‘flakes’ turning out to be air bubbles.

Technically this might be considered a double overlay rather than a single one. The two-toned yellow would allow it, but the intention in using this type of glass in this group was obviously the same as for a single-overlay, where the design occupies a single, raised plane, even if the plane is two-toned. Otherwise, the use of the ground colour as part of the relief under the red, blue, and green is confined mainly to the edges, where the overlay wrapped round onto the narrow sides, or the shoulders.