A RED OVERLAY GLASS ‘DRAGON AND PHOENIX’ SNUFF BOTTLE, ATTRIBUTED TO THE BEIJING PALACE WORKSHOPS, QIANLONG PERIOD

Expert’s note:
This bottle is particularly distinguished by the excellence of the composition, with a strong and vigorous line imbued with the confidence of a highly accomplished carver. It is a masterpiece, with a superb juxtaposition of dragons and bats. The details are crisply finished with several differing layers of relief.

China, 1736-1795. Of ovoid shape, finely carved through the outer deep ruby-red layer to the translucent milky-white ground with a single dragon, its scaly body curled across both front and reverse, with a large and well detailed head, grasping in its jaws the crested head of a phoenix with a slender body curled around the shoulders and extending back to join the elaborately scrolled tail of the dragon, a bat on each side partly hidden by cloud billows.


Provenance:
The Levendowsky Collection. Robert Kleiner & Co. Ltd., London, United Kingdom, 2001. A private collection in the United Kingdom, acquired from the above. A copy of the original invoice from Robert Kleiner & Co. Ltd., dated 25 October 2001, confirming the dating and attribution above, accompanies this lot. Robert Kleiner (1948-2014) was an important expert and dealer of Chinese snuff bottles, beginning his long career at Sotheby’s Chinese Art department in London. Along with Hugh Moss and Bob Hall, he became a key advisor to the Mary and George Bloch collection, and it was Robert who wrote and produced the very first catalog of their bottles.

Condition:
Very good condition with minor wear and minimal manufacturing irregularities, as well as minor nibbling to mouth.

Stopper: Glass
Weight: 38.1 g
Dimensions: Height incl. stopper 72 mm, Diameter neck 12 mm, mouth 8 mm


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 7 October 2014, lot 21
Price: HKD 325,000 or approx.
EUR 45,500
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A superb red glass overlay ‘dragon and phoenix’ snuff bottle, probably imperial, attributed to the palace workshops, Beijing, 1715-1750
Expert remark: Compare the related form, color, and manner of carving. Note the snowflake ground and the size (64 mm).


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 23 November 2014, lot 182
Price: HKD 200,000 or approx.
EUR 28,500
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: a ruby-red overlay white glass ‘dragons and pearl’ snuff bottle, Qing dynasty, Yongzheng / Qianlong period
Expert remark: Compare the related form, color, and manner of carving with a similar sinuous dragon. Note the snowflake ground.




乾隆時期涅白地套寶石紅料龍鳳紋鼻煙壺，或爲内務府製

中國，1736-1795 年。 直柱頸，溜肩，圈足。涅白地套寶石紅色，雕刻出一條龍，龍神矯健修長，龍首大，雕刻生動，嘴中銜著鳳首，線條流暢，鳳首和龍尾相連，兩側各有一隻蝙蝠飛舞。


來源：
Levendowsky收藏；英國倫敦Robert Kleiner & Co. Ltd.，2001 年；英國私人收藏，購自上述藝廊。此拍品附有 Robert Kleiner & Co. Ltd. 於 2001 年 10 月 25 日開具的原始發票副本，確認了上述日期和來源。英國倫敦Robert Kleiner收藏，2008年7月。Robert Kleiner是英國的一位中國藝術品和鼻煙壺的主要權威之一。他出版了許多書籍。

品相：
狀況極好，有輕微磨損和最小的製造不規則，壺口輕微磕損。

壺蓋：玻璃
重量：38.1 克
尺寸：含蓋高72 毫米, 頸部直徑12 毫米, 壺口直徑8 毫米


拍賣結果比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：香港佳士得，2014年10月7日，lot 21
價格：HKD 325,000（相當於今日
EUR 45,500
）
描述：1715-1750年北京御製白地套紅料龍和鳳凰紋鼻煙壺
專家評論：比較相近的外形、顏色和雕刻風格。請注意雪白地和尺寸(64毫米)。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：香港蘇富比，2014年11月23日，lot 182
價格：HKD 200,000（相當於今日
EUR 28,500
）
描述：清雍正 / 乾隆雪霏地套寶石紅料雙龍爭珠鼻煙壺連水彩紙本畫
專家評論：比較相近的外形、顏色和雕刻風格。請注意雪白地。