AN ENAMEL ON COPPER SNUFF BOTTLE

famille-rose enamels on a yellow enamel ground, of elongated ovoid form below a tapered neck and gilded mouth, resting on an oval gilded foot, the body painted with a bat on each face, fluttering among a lush array of floral blossoms and foliate scrolls, below a blue band border at the neck, the base enamelled lime green with a blue chrysanthemum mark

Peter and Marion Bozzo Collection.
Clare Lawrence Ltd.
The Alexander Brody Collection.
Clare Lawrence Ltd.

Alexander Brody, Old Wine into Old Bottles: A Collector's Commonplace Book, Hong Kong, 1993, pp. 56 and 151.
Clare Lawrence, Chinese Snuff Bottle Engagement Diary, London, 1993, February.
Clare Lawrence, The Alexander Brody Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles, London, 1995, p. 56, no. 79. 

There is an enamel flake on the shoulder. A tiny scratch across a leaf towards the bottom, scratch across the bat, one scratch across the foot. In otherwise 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.

A similar bottle is illustrated in Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle: The J & J Collection, New York, 1993, Volume I, pp. 300-302, no. 181. According to the authors, 'Stylistically this bottles seems to come from either the Yongzheng period or very early in the Qianlong period, and although not marked, is probably from the Imperial workshops.' For an example of a Yongzheng mark and period bottle, see one illustrated in Viviane Jutheau, Guide du Collectionneur de Tabatieres Chinoises, Paris, 1980, p. 55. The Yongzheng mark bottle is of the same shape, but is painted in a formal manner, while the present example displays a rather loose and more florid style.