AN AQUAMARINE-BLUE GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG / JIAQING PERIOD

Robert Hall, London, 1985. 

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. 763.

The overall condition is excellent.
"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."

As in the case of Sale 8, lot 1048, the present glass bottle may have been intended to imitate a stone. The difference is that, while pieces of relatively pure amethyst could occasionally be found, no snuff bottles are known that are of completely flawless aquamarine. The closest approach to purity is represented by a small group of plain aquamarine bottles of rounded rectangular form and brilliant colour, of which a superb example exists in this collection (Sale 2, lot 3). The purest of this group, the Bloch example nevertheless exhibits some slight cloudy inclusions and minor flaws. There would, therefore, have been some incentive to reproduce the stone in glass without the flaws, as there was in the case of amethyst.

Absence of concentricity round the neck of the inner swirling of the material provides evidence of carving from a solid block. Had the bottle been blown, an indication would have remained round the mouth as the flow of the glass was dictated by the energy from the blow-iron. As in the imitation of amethyst, air bubbles have been almost totally excluded, those remaining being so small they are visible only under a high-power lens. Further evidence of a carving from the solid can be found in slight undulations on the interior surface left by the hollowing process.

This bottle is hollowed to within a millimetre or two of its life, to the degree that the walls are barely visible from the exterior. Normally with carved transparent material, the thickness of the walls can be easily seen as a solid area, as in Sale 8, lot 1048. Here, however, they are very difficult to see, and then only from certain angles and under certain lighting conditions. It is a delight in the hand owing to its simple shape, gently curving form, and comfortable size for the palm.

The shape is achieved with perfect formal integrity, and the detailing of foot and mouth is impeccable, crafted with the crispness and confidence exemplified by the finest of stone carvings.