A realgar-splashed dark amber glass snuff bottle. Imperial, Attributed to the Palace workshops, Beijing, 1730-1800

A realgar-splashed dark amber glass snuff bottle.  Imperial, Attributed to the Palace workshops, Beijing, 1730-1800. photo courtesy Sotheby's 

of flattened circular form, tapering towards a narrow neck, the metal of a very dark red-amber color boldly splashed with patche of mottled bright orange; height 2 1/4 in., 5.7 cm - Estimate 6,000 - 9,000 USD

PROVENANCE/ Jack Rose Collection.

Sotheby's London, 6th June, 1988, lot 263.

White Wings Collection, no. 46.

Sotheby's New York, 23rd March 2004, lot 4

LITERATURE: Robert Kleiner, Chinese Snuff Bottles, Hong Kong, 1994, pl. 5.

Robert Kleiner, Chinese Snuff Bottles: The White Wings Collection, Hong Kong, 1997, p. 77, no. 46

NOTE: .The color of the body, although revealed to be amber under strong light, is black in appearance, making this one of the most dramatic bottles of this 'splashed' type. A glass bottle vase with very similar coloring, bearing a Qianlong  mark and attributed to the period, was sold at Christie's New York, 20th September 2005, lot 52.

Sotheby's. The Joe Grimberg Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles, New York, 14 Sep 2010