The Meriem Collection Part II. Lot 259

259
**A BLUE OVERLAY WHITE GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE
PROBABLY IMPERIAL, PROBABLY PALACE WORKSHOPS, BEIJING, 1760-1840
Of flattened form with flat lip and recessed flat foot surrounded by a footrim highlighted with sapphire-blue overlay, carved through the overlay with mask-and-ring handles on the narrow sides, lapis lazuli stopper with gilt-metal collar
6.0 cm. high
$3,000-5,000

P R O V E N A N C E :
Hugh Moss Ltd.

E X H I B I T E D :
Canadian Craft Museum, Vancouver, 1992.

The restrained design of this bottle is confined to the delicate mask-and-ring handles and foot in a contrasting color. This supremely elegant and understated design for an overlay snuff bottle is found as a small series of bottles of usually red or blue overlay which can be confidently attributed to Beijing and the mid-Qing period, and possibly to the Palace. For a pear-shaped snuff bottle with mask-and-ring handles in red overlay on white glass, see Moss, Graham and Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles, Vol. 5, Glass, no. 907.

The Meriem Collection Part II. Lot 259