A GOLDEN-BROWN OVERLAY YELLOW GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE QING DYNASTY, 19TH CENTURY

of transparent golden-brown and semi-transparent yellow glass, the former with a few scattered air bubbles, the latter suffused with them and with small white flakes, with a concave lip and protruding flat foot, carved as a single overlay with a chilong on each main side, one with a long, sinuous protuberance from its body held in its mouth; with a coral stopper

Robert Hall, London, 1993.

Chinese Snuff Bottles in the Collection of Mary and George Bloch, The British Museum, London, 1995, cat. no. 188.

Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 1997.

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. 952.

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 medley of various tones of yellow on glassworks was apparently developed during the Qianlong period, probably in the middle or second half of the reign. Among them, the most common tonal combination was a range of translucent yellow tones over a transparent ground that varies from a distinct golden yellow to the toffee brown as seen on the present example. Its visual similarity with some topaz, which is sometimes called huangyu (‘yellow jade’) in Chinese, suggests that it could have been inspired by the translucent gemstone. The yellow overlay on the present bottle is suffused with white speckles resembling snowflakes, which is extremely rare.