A MILKY WHITE AND PINK SANDWICHED GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE, 1720-1830

Attributed to the Imperial glassworks, Beijing
China, 1720-1830

The compressed bottle with its flat narrow sides is accented with dark pink splashes sandwiched between two layers of translucent, bubble-suffused milky white glass.
With sandwiched pink and white glass, the color comes from powdered ruby glass added between two layers of glass, the outer of which has to be either transparent, or at least semi-transparent. Sandwiched glass bottles were a popular staple at the Court during the eighteenth century, where similar sandwiched pink glass was also carved as a series of lotus-petal bottles, such as the example in the J & J Collection, illustrated by Moss et. al., The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle, vol. 2, no. 358, and the bottle from the Exstein Collection sold at Christies, 21 March 2002, lot 44. For further discussion on sandwiched glass and its association with the mass production of snuff bottles to be distributed by the Court as gifts for various festivals and birthdays each year, see Moss, Graham, Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles, vol. 5, Glass, nos. 722-35, where no. 726 is of similar material to the present example. This color of sandwiched glass was extremely popular on a range of plain and carved wares for the Court. This example is probably an Imperial bottle, but such plain wares may also have been made privately at the same time, inhibiting a firm attribution.

Shape: Flattened round shape
Hollowing: Standard
Mouth, neck and lip: Sprawling lip with flat top an slanted lip
Base: Oval convex base
Design, marks, school: Attributed to the Imperial glassworks, Beijing
Stopper: Miniature coral carving of a Buddhist lion on a black platelet
Height of the bottle with stopper: 5.8 cm.
Width of the mouth: 15 mm.
Width of the neck: 5 mm.
Weight: 30.8 grams
Condition: Perfect condition, on microscopic manufacturing flaw to base
Provenance: American private collection

Auction result comparison: The Ruth and Carl Barron Collection of Fine Chinese Snuff Bottles: Part VI. Christies, New York, 12 September 2018, lot 668. J & J COLLECTION OF SNUFF BOTTLES, PART III. Christies, New York, 29 March 2006, lot 79. (both for similar bottles)

白夾粉紅玻璃鼻烟壺，1720-1830
應為御製品，北京
中國， 1720-1830
壺型： 扁平圓形
掏膛： 規整
壺口、頸與唇部：壺唇延伸，平面壺口，撇唇
底足： 橢圓凸底
造型、落款及流派：應爲御製料器，北京
壺蓋： 珊瑚微雕佛獅，黑色托片
壺高（含壺蓋）： 5.8 厘米
口徑： 15 毫米
壺頸寬： 5 毫米
重量： 30.8 克
品相： 完美，壺底細微製作缺陷
來源： 美國私人收藏