A SAPPHIRE-BLUE AND WHITE GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE QING DYNASTY, EARLY 18TH / MID-19TH CENTURY

of transparent sapphire-blue and translucent white glass suffused with air bubbles of various different sizes, including some large, elongated ones, with a concave inner lip and a concave foot; the turquoise stopper with a gilt-bronze collar

Collection of Robert Chasin.
Collection of Louise and Christopher Randall.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 31st October 1995, lot 1838.

A Congregation of Snuff Bottle Connoisseurs: An Exhibition of Chinese Snuff Bottles at the Tsui Museum of Art, Tsui Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1996, cat. no. 7.

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. 715.

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."

The present bottle has been made by rolling coloured fragments of white glass into the surface of the contrasting sapphire-blue glass. It is more common for this effect to be achieved by ‘sandwiching’ contrasting colours of glass, such as an example from the Bloch collection sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 28^th May 2010, lot 63.