A YELLOW OVERLAY ON AMBER GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE

of flattened rounded form, overlaid in a pale caramel-yellow on a translucent amber ground, carved with a bat amongst two double-gourd vines, the stems of which curve around to form the footrim

Vivian Jutheau Collection.
Robert Hall.

'Tres Precieuses Tabatieres Chinoises', L'Arcade Chaumet, Paris, 4th-16th June 1982, no. 118.

Viviane Jutheau, Guide du Collectioneur de Tabatieres Chinoises, Paris, 1980, p. 65, no. 1.

Good condition. There is a small rough area/burst air bubble on on a tendril just below the gourd in the center of one side, this shows as a small gray area in the catalogue photo.
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.

Gourds with leaves and tendrils form the rebus zisun wandai (May you have ten thousand generations of sons and grandsons).

A bottle of similar coloring carved with qilong, also attributed to the Palace workshops and dated to 1750-1800 is in The Crane Collection, www.thecranecollection.com, no. 167. Another is illustrated by Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles. The Mary and George Bloch Collection, Volume 5, Part 3, Hong Kong, 2002, p. 588, no. 956. The bottle, which the authors attribute to the Imperial glassworks, Beijing, is carved with bats around a bi disc. Both this bottle and the present example show unusual interior molding meant to suggest a fabric pouch.