A RARE REALGAR GLASS SEAL PASTE BOX AND COVER MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG |

of compressed globular form, supported on a straight foot, the opaque variegated brilliant orange and ochre-yellow glass swirled together to resemble the mineral, the base with a wheelcut four-character reign mark within a square

The box is in very good condition, with only expected insignificant nibbling along the rims and characteristic air pinholes original to the manufacture.
"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 attractive variegated swirls on this box were made in imitation of the orange-red coloured arsenic sulphide mineral realgar (xionghuang). Found in the southern provinces of China, this poisonous mineral was believed to contain the essence of gold and thus became a popular ingredient in Daoist recipes for longevity. Realgar has a soft crumbly texture and is highly toxic, hence its attractive natural pattern of swirls was reproduced in glass.  Realgar glass appears to be an innovation of the early 18th century, and Yongzheng mark and period wares of this type are rare. Of the twelve glass objects inscribed with Yongzheng reign marks in the Palace Museum, Beijing, only a bottle vase appears to be made in imitation of realgar (accession no. gu00107602). Unmarked examples of realgar glass are more commonly known, such as a pair of facetted vases made prior to 1753, when they entered the collection of the British Museum, London, one of which illustrated in Soame Jenyns and William Watson, Chinese Art. The Minor Arts II, London, 1965, pl. 81; and a set of ten glass cups acquired in Guangzhou and brought to Europe in 1732, now in the Nationalmuseet, Copenhagen, published in Bente Dam Mikkelsen et. al., Ethnographic Objects in the Royal Danish Kunstkammer, 1650-1800, Copenhagen, 1980, p. 218, nos Ebc 71-82.

Realgar glass boxes inscribed with Qianlong reign marks are known: one in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Zhongguo jin yin boli falangqi quanji [Complete collection of Chinese gold, silver, glass and cloisonné enamel], vol. 4, Shijiazhuang, 2004, pl. 186; and another in the Andrew K. F. Lee collection, was included in the exhibition Elegance and Radiance, Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2000, cat. no. 134. Compare also a realgar box, lacking the reign mark but attributed to the Qianlong reign, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Zhang Rong, Lustre of Autumn Water. Glass of the Imperial Workshop, Beijing, 2005, pl. 39.