AN UNDERGLAZE RED AND BLUE PORCELAIN 'TRIBUTE BEARERS' SNUFF BOTTLE QING DYNASTY, DAOGUANG – TONGZHI PERIOD

with a convex lip and recessed, slightly convex circular foot surrounded by a protruding convex footrim, painted with a continuous scene of eight foreign tribute bearers, ranged in two registers of four, each beside or astride an animal, mostly mythical but including a white elephant and a dappled pony, each figure holding an item of tribute (a folded canopy on a shaft, an elephant tusk, what may be intended as two rolls of silk, a sheathed sword, a branch of coral, a ruyi sceptre, a volume of books, and a pearl); the neck with a formalized lingzhi band, the inside of the neck also painted with a double-blue-line border; the stopper formed from half a bead and painted with a formalized shou character, with a gilt-bronze collar

Hugh Moss (HK) Ltd., 1985.

Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection, vol. 6, Hong Kong, 2007, no. 1385.

The snuff bottle is in overall very 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. 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."

Compare another bottle from the Bloch collection painted with the same design but inscribed with a Xianfeng mark, sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 23^rd November, lot 106.