Lot 1020
Treasury 5, no.889 (‘Miniaturized Mallow’)
HK$212,500

Transparent ruby-red glass and slightly milky glass suffused with small air bubbles, some elongated; with a flat lip and recessed flat foot surrounded by a protruding flat foot rim; carved as a single overlay with an identical subject on each main side of a formalized mallow flower surrounded by a frame of formalized leaves
1730-1780
Height: 5.7 cm
Mouth/lip: 0.85/1.41 cm
Stopper: glass; vinyl collar

Provenance:
Mr and Mrs Kenneth Hark
Robert Hall (1991)

Published:
Kleiner 1995, no. 155
Treasury 5, no.889

Exhibited:
British Museum, London, June-October 1995
Israel Museum, Jerusalem, July-November 1997

Restrained though it may be by virtue of its understated, formalized design, this unique and flawless cameo-overlay is as beautifully carved as any glass bottle in the collection. It may be from an early period, before the mallow-flower motif became standardized. The foot is unusual in being carved from the ground rather than the overlay colour. A similar slightly misty or milky ground suffused with air bubbles was seen also in Sale 6, lot 140, which we think is likely to be from the first half of the Qianlong reign. We believe that this example probably dates from the same time, although a Yongzheng date is not out of the question. The absence of crizzling on either the almost colourless glass, which was very susceptible to it, or the red, which also suffered in many cases, argues against proposing earlier dates.

This is not the Sotheby’s sale catalogue. This is a product of Hugh Moss for the purposes of this website. For the catalogue details please refer to Sotheby’s website or request a copy of a printed sale catalogue from Sotheby’s.