164 - A FIVE-COLOUR OVERLAY GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE IMPERIAL, PALACE WORKSHOPS, BEIJING, 1730-1840

A FIVE-COLOUR OVERLAY GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE IMPERIAL, PALACE WORKSHOPS, BEIJING, 1730-1840 To Be Sold Without Reserve Carved with nine chilong dragons in red, amber, green and blue overlay on a milky-white translucent ground, blue oval foot rim with convex base Height: 6cm Provenance: Sotheby’s New York, Fine Chinese Snuff Bottles, 2nd December 1985, lot 148, (a copy of the original invoice available) In Chinese culture, the nine dragons symbolize supreme imperial power, cosmic completeness, and supreme good fortune. This is one of a spectacular group of multicoloured overlays of chi dragons, produced at the Imperial workshops during the Qianlong Emperor’s reign and into the mid nineteenth century. The number of colours varies, but they are usually found with seven or fewer different colours of overlay, although very rarely nine are recorded. See a similarly fine nine chi dragon bottle, from The Water, Pine and Stone Retreat Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles, attributed to the Palace workshops, cat. no. 水松石山房鼻煙壺珍藏 34.3.890, Imperial Influence over the Snuff Bottle Arts, Book I, 2017, e-yaji.com And another from the Collection of Mary and George Bloch, Part V, sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 27th May 2012, lot 120, illustrated in Treasury 5, no.981 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