A Chalcedony 'Chilong' Snuff Bottle Yuzhi Mark and Period Of Qianlong

Claar Collection.
Parke-Bernet, New York, 2nd December 1959, lot 103.
Reif Collection.
Christie’s New York, 18th October 1993, lot 165.

Moss et al., 1996-2009, vol. 2, no. 354.

It is in 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."

This is one of the series of Qianlong imperial agate bottles that is believed to have been made during the last part of the reign. They relate to other examples in glass, many of which have lobed bodies and incised poems. One bottle of identical material, similarly well made and thinly hollowed (albeit of different shape), is Sale 5, lot 77, which bears the hall name of Yongxing 永瑆 (1752 –1823), the eleventh son of the Qianlong emperor.

Their palace provenance seems confirmed, with so many typical features, including the frequent use of an upper lip rim, the excellent hollowing, the series of formalized borders inspired by palace enamelling and, of course, four-character marks. A further indication of palace production is found here in the design of the chi dragons and the manner in which they have been formalized and linked. Here they are close to formalized floral designs from the court where a common feature was to have various elements tied together with a simulated band, as a swag of flowers or leaves. These appear quite frequently on palace glass bottles, often as narrow side designs.

The hollowing, formal perfection, carving, and finishing of this bottle are all excellent, with the standard high-gloss polish of the group. The relief planes are conceived as raised flat surfaces, linking this group to other bottles probably carved at or for the court (including the lovely crystal examples, Sale 4, lot 45, and the present sale, lot 1045). The main surfaces, such as on the long bodies and tails of the beasts and on the raised bands that frame the design, are scalloped, with concave depressions. This must have been a painstaking additional process that one might think would barely repay the extra effort. In fact the difference it makes is enormous, not only in revealing the commitment involved but also in adding to the visual delight of the carving.