A RARE CARVED ARCHAISTIC ‘KUILONG’ TURQUOISE GLASS VASE, MID QING DYNASTY

The translucent glass body of almost flawless turquoise color, carved in high relief, with neatly incised details

China, 18th – 19th century

The deep, thin sides carved in relief with an archaistic design of two pair of intertwined kuilong, each forming a stylized long-character, all between a lappet border below and an incised leave border above, the tapered neck and sprawling mouth rim plain, the glass of intense turquoise color.

Claudia Brown and David Rabiner in Clear as Crystal, Red as Flame, China Institute in America, New York, 1987, page 29, note that the thinness of the body and the "clarity and warmth" of a ruby-red bowl from the Qianlong period set it apart from Imperial productions, and that it is more likely to have been made in the glasshouses of Guangzhou. They also note that the thinness and fragility of the glass from Guangzhou was remarked upon as early as the 18th century. The carving on the present vase shows strict “clarity” combined with sophisticated craftsmen’s skills resulting in an overall “warm” appearance. It therefore does not seem absolutely unreasonable to date this vase to the 18th century.

Shape: Sprawling cylindric form on a round, slanted, flat base
Weight: 193,5 grams
Dimensions: Height 11,2 cm
Condition: Excellent condition with only minor wear, two microscopic nicks to base
Provenance: Old European private collection

Literature comparison: Claudia Brown and David Rabiner in Clear as Crystal, Red as Flame, China Institute in America, New York, 1987, page 29. (for an archaistic ruby-red glass bowl, attributed to the glasshouses of Guangzhou)

Auction result comparison: SNUFF BOTTLES FROM THE MARY AND GEORGE BLOCH COLLECTION: PART VI. Sotheby’s, 27 MAY 2013, HONG KONG, lot 236. (for a glass snuff bottle, made from glass with the exact same color, attributed to the Beijing glass workshops)

清代罕見仿古雕” 夔龍”松石綠色料瓶
半透明松石綠玻璃，細膩高浮雕
品相極佳
歐洲私人老收藏