A RED OVERLAY ON WHITE 'GOURDS' ON A GOURD GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE
Possibly imperial, attributed to the Palace Workshops, Beijing，1750-1820
Of red on milk-white ground, of rounded bulbous form in the shape of a gourd, with a cylindrical neck with a wide mouth and a concave oval foot, continuously overlaid with double gourds hanging from a trailing, leafy branch with three double gourds forming the feet; stopper.
2 5/8in (6.8cm) high
Footnotes:
1750-1820 乳白套紅料刻葫蘆鼻煙壺一件
或為御製，亦或為北京宮廷作坊製

Provenance:
Purchased in Los Angeles, CA., November 1984
Joan and Ted Dorf Collection, no. 93

This is one of the finer examples of this group where the glassmaker has exercised control over the design so that the double gourds in relief are evenly spaced and the three gourds that form the feet on which the bottle stands are at an equal height. Often this group uses a double gourd shape for the body of the bottle leaving no doubt as to the intention of the form. In this case the bottle is of a single gourd shape, allowing the eye to rest on the design rather than the form.

An extremely elegant bottle, with the lower gourds positioned as a three-point foot, allowing the bottle to stand straight.The overlay connecting the gourds is a bit thin in places, but unobtrusive and elegantly rendered.