AN EMERALD-GREEN CARVED GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE
Imperial, attributed to the Palace Workshops, Beijing，1730-1780
Of flattened, rectangular form with shoulders sloping to a tall cylindrical neck with a wide mouth, and with a neatly carved oval footrim, of a vivid emerald-green color, each main side carved with two confronting coiling kui dragons, their opposing heads and tails almost meeting to form a scrolling panel, the two narrow sides carved with coiling chilong; stopper.
2 3/8in (6cm) high
Footnotes:
1730-1780 寶石綠料胎刻雙龍紋鼻煙壺一件
御製 或為北京宮廷作坊製

Provenance:
Robert Hall, May 2010
Joan and Ted Dorf Collection, no. 358

The color, form and style of carving of this bottle all indicate an early date of manufacture and suggest the Palace Workshops as the place of manufacture. The emerald-green color, together with the formal decoration helps to date the bottle to as early as the Yongzheng period. The shape of the bottle is also unusual. A similar bottle in ruby-red glass is in The Crane Collection (www.thecranecollection.com, no. 685) supporting the imperial attribution.

A very minute inner mouth frit. A brilliant and delicately carved snuff bottle with subtle yet rich decoration.