A very finely carved glass ‘dragon’ snuff bottle. Beijing Palace Workshops, 18th century

A very finely carved glass ‘dragon’ snuff bottle. Beijing Palace Workshops, 18th century

Of flattened circular form, boldly carved with very fine naturalistic detail all over the body, the front side with a chilong dragon depicted propped up on its haunches amidst mystical cloud scroll, its long sinuous tail coiling down the body to form a short oval foot, the reverse with an additional chilong depicted in profile, the glass of a brilliant, clear aquamarine colour, box. 6cm (2¼in) high. (2). Sold for HK$312,000

Provenance: Sotheby’s New York, 22 March 1999, lot 30

Note: A red glass bottle of similar form and quality, carved with a design of five bats forming the wufu, amidst swirling clouds, is illustrated by Denis SK Low, Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Sanctum of Enlightened Respect III, Singapore, 2007, p.131, pl.107. Another glass bottle with similar finely carved decoration is illustrated by R. Kleiner, Chinese Snuff Bottles: The White Wings Collection, Tewkesbury, 1997, p.82, pl. 50, where he attributes it to the Beijing Palace Workshops

Bonhams. Fine Chinese Ceramics, Works of Art and Paintings, 21 May 2009. Island Shangri-La Hong Kong Hotel, Admiralty, Hong Kong www.bonhams.com