PRINTMost early snuff bottles were comprised of glass and later ones made of overlay glass in two or multiple colours. In retrospect, glass production flourished particularly during the Qing dynasty, when Kangxi established within the confines of the Imperial palace a glass workshop and recruited the most qualified craftsman for the manufacture of glass objects of the highest quality for the Imperial court. Glass craftsman from the West were also recruited to foster further developments in the field. By the Qianlong reign glass production reached new heights, the rigorous devotion to various technical techniques enabled the development of many new colours to be used on the creation of snuff bottle like the present lot. Compare another overlay floral themed snuff bottle, illustrated in The Imperial connection. Court related Chinese snuff bottles The Humphrey K.F. Hui collection , Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1998, pl.44.
|
9072
AN OVERLAY ‘FLORAL BASKET’ SNUFF BOTTLE
19TH CENTURY |
|
The well-hollowed body surmounted by a gently flared neck, skillfully carved through the overlay with a basket constituting the foot, filled with blossoming floral and leafy buds of the spring, all rendered in high relief. |
|
Estimate
35,000 - 60,000 137,000 - 234,000 4,500 - 7,700
|
|
|
Most early snuff bottles were comprised of glass and later ones made of overlay glass in two or multiple colours. In retrospect, glass production flourished particularly during the Qing dynasty, when Kangxi established within the confines of the Imperial palace a glass workshop and recruited the most qualified craftsman for the manufacture of glass objects of the highest quality for the Imperial court. Glass craftsman from the West were also recruited to foster further developments in the field. By the Qianlong reign glass production reached new heights, the rigorous devotion to various technical techniques enabled the development of many new colours to be used on the creation of snuff bottle like the present lot. Compare another overlay floral themed snuff bottle, illustrated in The Imperial connection. Court related Chinese snuff bottles The Humphrey K.F. Hui collection , Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1998, pl.44.