29 - A WHITE-GLAZED ‘ANHUA’ PORCELAIN ‘DRAGON’ SNUFF BOTTLE

A WHITE-GLAZED ‘ANHUA’ PORCELAIN ‘DRAGON’ SNUFF BOTTLE POSSIBLY IMPERIAL, 1770-1850 To Be Sold Without Reserve Of squat cylindrical form with a waisted cylindrical neck, incised beneath the glaze with an Imperial five- clawed dragon amidst clouds chasing a flaming pearl Height: 4.8cm Provenance: Unrecorded, prior to 1995 Hugh Moss (HK) Ltd, 22nd October 2007, (a copy of the original invoice available) Of the general group known as anhua (hidden painting) where the design is simply engraved beneath a colourless glaze, this is an unusual version, with its entirely white-looking glaze. As a rule the deeper, incised areas, pool to a pale turquoise blue colour. The carving is also exceptional, with unusually three-dimensional work rather than simply incised lines. The stopper is one from the Ko Collection, made in China for the owner of the collection in the early twentieth century Ω This Lot was imported from outside of the UK, under the Temporary Admission regime 5% import VAT will be charged on the ‘hammer” and 20% VAT will be charged on the ‘buyer’s premium