41 - A RARE UNDERGLAZE-RED PORCELAIN ‘DRAGONS’ SNUFF BOTTLE POSSIBLY IMPERIAL, JINGDEZHEN, PERHAPS IMPERIAL KILNS 1821-1850

A RARE UNDERGLAZE-RED PORCELAIN ‘DRAGONS’ SNUFF BOTTLE POSSIBLY IMPERIAL, JINGDEZHEN, PERHAPS IMPERIAL KILNS 1821-1850 To Be Sold Without Reserve A RARE UNDERGLAZE-RED PORCELAIN ‘DRAGONS’ SNUFF BOTTLEPOSSIBLY IMPERIAL, JINGDEZHEN, PERHAPS IMPERIAL KILNS 1821-1850 Of compressed shouldered ovoid form, painted with a continuous design of two five-clawed dragons, their eyes picked out in underglaze-blue, chasing a flaming pearl among clouds, the foot inscribed in underglaze- blue Ren Ruiji ji (`Ren Ruiji ware’ or `Recorded by Ren Ruiji’) Height: 6.5cm Provenance: Alex S. Cussons Hugh Moss (HK) Ltd, 26th September 1996, (a copy of the original invoice available) Bottles of this unusually large size and distinctive shape where an ovoid form is turned with the longest dimension horizontal with the addition of a cylindrical neck and ovoid foot were made in porcelain during the Daoguang period and not, apparently, at any other time. Those that are known are mostly from the Imperial kilns and several are decorated with the five-clawed dragons reserved for the Imperial family, as is this example. Despite the rare inclusion of the maker’s name, the five-clawed dragon at this time suggests an Imperial connection and it may have been made privately for the court or for a member of the Imperial family. Another example in equally well controlled and brilliant underglaze copper-red but with a landscape design is in the Ault Collection (Robert W. L. Kleiner, Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Collection of John Ault, no. 164) where a still larger example of the shape, also with an Imperial Daoguang mark, is no. 139 (with famille rose decoration) 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