59 - A SAPPHIRE-BLUE GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE POSSIBLY IMPERIAL GLASSWORKS, 1770-1840

A SAPPHIRE-BLUE GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE POSSIBLY IMPERIAL GLASSWORKS, 1770-1840 To Be Sold Without Reserve Of cylindrical form with a waisted neck, flat lip, wide mouth and recessed, convex circular foot surrounded by a protruding, rounded foot rim of clear glass Height: 6.5cm Provenance: Te Feng, Hong Kong (April 2000) Hugh Moss (HK) Ltd, 22nd October 2007, (a copy of the original invoice available) Although cylindrical bottles were among the most popular forms in ceramics during the second half of the Qing dynasty, they were otherwise less common. There are few cylindrical bottles known from Court production of the mid- to late Qianlong period, and among these is a small group of glass example made at the Imperial glassworks. The wide neck and mouth on this bottle suggest that it may have been made as part of a group of bottles intended for petals to be introduced to the mouth overnight to scent the snuff, an early- nineteenth century fad which continued into the later century among snuff connoisseurs. This deep sapphire- blue was a standard colour at the Imperial glassworks, but could also be made elsewhere Ω This Lot was imported outside of the UK, under the Temporary Admission scheme. 5% import VAT will be charged on the ‘hammer’ price and 20% VAT will be charged on the ‘buyer’s premium’. If proof of export outside of the UK can be provided for this item within 3 months of the sale date, then the VAT can be refunded. Please contact us for further details and shipping advice