TABATIERE EN VERRE ROSE AVEC INSCRIPTION CHINE, ATELIERS IMPERIAUX, BEIJING, MARQUE QIANLONG , 1780-1799

l'une des faces ornée de cachets moulés et gravés, l'autre gravée d'une inscription datée du printemps de l'année jiawu (1774); bouchon en jadéite

Collection privée française
Galerie Bertrand de Lavergne

 

Tabatières Chinoises, Trésors des Collections Privées Françaises, Paris, 29 novembre – 17 décembre 2000, n°56

Good condition. Minor old wear and surface scratches, the gilding with slight old wear.
"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 circular archaic-style seal guxi tianzi (An Emperor rare since antiquity), the square one with a Qianlong yuti seal mark (inscription composed by Qianlong).

The imperial inscription dated jiawu year (1774) reading as follows :
A pristine bottle for an exceptional fragrance
Neither jade nor pearl but a stuff most wondrous
Fine and peach-pink like a powdered face
Best for delighting the lofty in heart and soul

Compare with a Tourmaline example with the same inscription and seals illustrated in Rivers and Mountains Far From the World, The Rachelle R Holden Collection, New York, pl 156.
A rock crystal bottle with the same inscription and seals, dated 1781 or slightly later is in the Humphrey Hui collection and illustrated in The Imperial Connection, Court Related Chinese Snuff Bottles, the Humphrey K.F. Hui Collection, Hong Kong, 1998, no.99.
Compare also with a red glass inscribed bottle in Moss, Graham, Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles. The Mary and George Bloch Collection, vol. 5, Glass, p. 422, no. 869.
For the origin and meaning of guxi tianzi seal, seeChina, The Three Emperors, 1662-1795, Royal Academy of Arts, London 2005, p. 444, no. 214, where it is stated that this seal was created for the seventieth birthday of the Emperor (1780).