118 - A CARVED RUBY-RED GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE IMPERIAL, BEIJING PALACE WORKSHOPS, 1736-1799

A CARVED RUBY-RED GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE IMPERIAL, BEIJING PALACE WORKSHOPS, 1736-1799 To Be Sold Without Reserve The transparent ruby-red glass suffused with irregular bubbles, of rounded rectangular form with a cylindrical neck and recessed oval foot, carved in relief to each side with a design of two chi dragons confronting each other across a formalised shou character Height: 5cm Provenance: Hugh Moss (HK) Ltd, 5th September 1994, (a copy of the original invoice available) The chi dragon was one of the most popular decorative elements on the Palace workshops snuff bottles in hardstones and glass during the first half of the Qing dynasty and is quite rare as the principal decoration from other centres, suggesting an imperial provenance for this bottle. The confronting dragons of this type are also a wel established Palace design, and ruby glass was a staple of the Palace workshops. For a related design on a chalcedony bottle attributable to the Palace during the late Qianlong period, see Moss, Graham, Tsang, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle, no. 165, and for a rare tourmaline bottle from the late Qianlong period with the same design as here, see the front cover of the ICSBS, Journal, April 1944 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