Beijing

A yellow glass 'kui dragons' snuff bottle ('Imperial Show Stopper'). Treasury 5, no. 828. Imperial glassworks, Beijing, 1736–1770. Photo Bonhams bubbles; with a flat lip and recessed, slightly convex foot surrounded by a protruding, rounded footrim; carved with a continuous formalized archaistic design of a band of confronting kui dragons framed top and bottom by lotus petals and set on an engraved, floral diaper ground, with further lotus-petal borders at the upper neck and around the base, the narrow sides with antelope... [Lire la suite]

A sapphire-blue glass 'peaches' snuff bottle ('Imperial Peach'). Treasury 5, no. 839. Imperial glassworks, Beijing, 1730–1790. Photo Bonhams Transparent sapphire-blue glass with a few scattered small air bubbles, with a flat lip and flat foot; carved with a continuous design of a severed, leafy branch with two peaches growing from it. Height: 5.1 cm. Mouth/lip: 0.56/1.5 cm. Stopper: tourmaline; gilt-silver collar. Condition: insignificant miniscule nibbles to inner lip; lip probably repolished at some time, and, given the... [Lire la suite]

A turquoise glass censer, Palace workshops, Beijing. Wheel-cut mark and period of Qianlong. photo courtesy Sotheby's of bombé form, the plain opaque turquoise glass with rounded sides set on three short rounded legs, the slightly everted rim flanked by a pair of upright loop handles, the underside wheel-cut with a four-character reign mark within a double square; 11.5 cm., 4 5/8 in. - Estimate 350,000—400,000 HKD. Lot Sold 1,160,000 HKD PROVENANCE: Christie's Hong Kong, 1st November 2004, lot 981. NOTE: A closely... [Lire la suite]

A jadeite snuff bittle, 1760-1830. Imperial, attributed to the Palace workshops, Beijing. photo courtesy Sotheby's . well hollowed, of flattened ovoid form with a cylindrical neck and concave mouth rim, resting on an oval recessed foot, beautifully carved in low relief on each face with a central panel comprising an archaistic taotie mask, below a formalized foliate motif, above a band of lappets and raised bosses, the shoulders set with animal masks suspending mock ring handles, above a vajra-shaped motif on each... [Lire la suite]

A carnelian double snuff bottle, 1750-1800. Imperial, attributed to the Palace workshops, Beijing. photo courtesy Sotheby's well hollowed and carved in the form of a 'Hero's vase', the stone of caramel-pink tone with paler inclusions, carved as two cylinders incised with archaistic scroll patterns and carved with mock mask and ring handles, the two bottles linked by a fabulous bird, the whole resting on the back of a crouching feline beast; height 2 in., 5.1 cm. Estimate 30,000—50,000 USD. Lot Sold 80,500 USD ... [Lire la suite]

A yellow glass snuff bottle, 1750-1795. Imperial, attributed to the Palace workshops, Beijing. photo courtesy Sotheby's of slender elongated oval form, with shoulders sloping to a waisted neck with slightly everted mouth, the glass of even rich yellow tone, finely carved in relief as if wrapped with a brocade cloth tied with a trailing ribbon; height 2 1/8 in., 5.4 cm. Estimate 20,000—30,000 USD. Lot Sold 31,250 USD PROVENANCE: Gerd Lester Collection.Sotheby's New York, 17th March 1997, lot 21. ... [Lire la suite]

A yellow glass snuff bottle, 1750-1800. Imperial, attributed to the Palace workshops, Beijing. photo courtesy Sotheby's well molded and carved in the form of a mallow flower, the glass of a transparent rich yellow-amber color; height 1 7/8 in., 4.8 cm. Estimate 8,000—12,000 USD. Lot Sold 8,125 USD PROVENANCE: Sotheby's London, 5th December 1983, lot 20. NOTE: An identical glass bottle, but of a more amber tone, is illustrated in Rachelle R. Holden, Rivers and Mountains Far From the World, New York, 1994, pp.... [Lire la suite]

A carved green glass snuff bottle, 1750-1820. Imperial, attributed to the Palace workshops, Beijing. photo courtesy Sotheby's of rounded form, the transparent green glass carved in low relief on each face with a recessed circular panel, carved on one side with a parrot chained to a perch, the reverse with a parrot swinging from a perch, flanked by mock mask and ring handles on the shoulders; height 2 1/4 in., 5.7 cm - Estimate 8,000—12,000 USD. Lot Sold 17,500 US PROVENANCE: Collection of Arthur Loveless.Kardos... [Lire la suite]

A carved pink and white glass snuff bottle, 1750-1820. Possibly Imperial, attributed to the Palace workshops, Beijing. photo courtesy Sotheby's of tapered ovoid form, the glass of mottled pink color overlaid over white at the neck and shading to white towards the foot, carved with three rows of lotus petals above a curled leaf; height 2 5/8 in., 6.7 cm. Estimate 15,000—25,000 USD. Lot Sold 11,250 USD PROVENANCE: Joseph Baruch Silver Collection.Clare Lawrence Ltd.The Alexander Brody Collection.Clare Lawrence... [Lire la suite]

A faceted blue jadeite snuff bottle. 1780-1830. Imperial, attributed to the Palace workshops, Beijing. photo courtesy Sotheby's superbly hollowed, of faceted decagonal form and generous section, rising to a cylindrical neck, supported on a flat foot, crisply carved on each face with a flowerhead comprised of two tiers of concave petals radiating from a central heart, the stone of icy semi-translucent blue-gray color with very faint green inclusions; height 2 1/4 in., 5.7 cm. Estimate 30,000—50,000 USD - Lot Sold 22,500... [Lire la suite]