China, Jingdezhen Kilns. Of elegant yet traditional 'Rouleau' form, supported on a flat base and rising to a short waisted neck with a flaring mouth, finely painted to the exterior with a sinuous five-clawed dragon pursuing a flaming pearl, the unglazed foot carved with concentric rings.

Provenance: Clare Chu, Los Angeles, California, 1992. The Collection of Alexander Brody, Honolulu, USA, acquired from the above and thence by descent. Clare Chu has been active in the field of Chinese snuff bottles for 40 years as a gallery owner, curator, auction consultant, lecturer, and writer. She is the author of many articles, books, and snuff bottle catalogs, and has curated exhibitions at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (2016), and at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore (2018). In October 2021 she curated an exhibition of over 750 snuff bottles held at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall in Taipei. Born in Budapest, Alexander Brody (1933-2022) built an impressive collection of Chinese snuff bottles, lending several pieces to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York city. In 1995, he collaborated with Clare Chu to produce a publication showcasing his collection.
Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear and firing irregularities.

Stopper: Coral with a gilt metal collar
Weight: 31.8 g
Dimensions: Height including stopper 62 mm. Diameter neck 15 mm and mouth 6 mm.

Porcelain snuff bottles represent a distinctive and prized category within the realm of snuff bottle artistry. Porcelain bottles showcased a unique blend of exquisite craftsmanship and artistic expression, allowing artisans to employ traditional Chinese painting and imagery that was so appreciated on other types of works larger stationary works, such as hanging scrolls, furniture, and large vases. Porcelain bottles also allowed for a wider range of shapes and sizes over natural materials that required carving and hollowing-out. While it is challenging to generalize the Qing emperors' preferences for specific materials, porcelain snuff bottles were undoubtedly part of the imperial collections, and highly appreciated for their artistic merit, diversity, and cultural significance.

Literature comparison:
Cylindrical blue and white bottles painted with dragons are known to have been made during the nineteenth century. The group is discussed in Hugh Moss, 'The Wrong End of the Dragon', Journal of the International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society, Winter 2008, pp. 16-22, where it is suggested that these bottles were inspired by columns decorated with wrapped carpets embroidered with dragons.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 25 May 2011, lot 40
Price: HKD 48,000 or approx. EUR 8,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A blue and white porcelain 'dragon' snuff bottle, Imperial kilns, Jingdezhen, 1780-1830
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, decoration, motif, and size (6.1 cm).