AN EXCEPTIONAL EMERALD-GREEN AND CINNABAR-RED OVERLAY GLASS ‘PHOENIX AND FROG’ SNUFF BOTTLE QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

of compressed globular form, intricately carved in varying levels of relief through the emerald-green overlay, with subtle highlights in cinnabar-red, all through to a bubble-suffused ground, carved with a majestic phoenix depicted perched on a lotus pad below arched branches of bamboo stems, the reverse with a frog seated on a lotus pad, the lotus pad skilfully incorporated into the base of the bottle, forming a naturalistic foot

Hugh M. Moss Ltd., London, 1974.
J & J Collection.
Christie's Hong Kong, 25th April 2004, lot 827.

Snuff Bottles of the Ch'ing Dynasty, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1978, no. 88.

Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle, The J & J Collection, vol. 2, no. 371.
 

In good condition, with just minute nibbles to the inner mouth.
"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 quality and vividity of the carved design on this exceptional snuff bottle ranks it amongst the greatest examples of overlaid glass bottles produced by master artisans, and its subject matter, of a majestic fenghuang, emblematic of the Empress herself, strongly points to it being commissioned for or given to a high ranking female at the Imperial court. For a lavender-blue glass snuff bottle of near-identical subject matter and crafstmanship, see the example from the Mary and George Bloch collection, illustrated by Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary & George Bloch Collection, vol. 5: Glass, Hong Kong, 2002, p. 390, pl. 853.