A ROOT AMBER SNUFF BOTTLE, QING DYNASTY
Root amber of deep and characteristic brown tone with cloud-shaped shades of cream and egg-yolk, natural crazing, smooth surface polish, some natural imperfections. Sound age patina. China, 1750-1850

Possibly Imperial Workshops, Beijing (see literature comparison for a similar example from the National Palace Museum, Taipei). Neatly carved in relief at each side with an archaistic taotie mask issuing a ring handle.

Shape: Slightly bulbous rectangular form with sprawling shoulders
Hollowing: Excellent, good symmetry between inside and outside contours
Mouth, neck and lip: Short cylindric neck with flat top and narrow mouth and deep inner cylinder
Base: Flat oval, with a slightly raised ring succinct to body
Stopper: Honey colored agate on carnelian platelet
Height of the bottle with stopper: 7.8 cm
Width of the mouth: 7 mm
Width of the neck: 20 mm
Condition: One chip to neck, otherwise excellent
Provenance: G. de Menasce Collection (old collectors label). Spink of London. American Private Collection (old collectors label with number ‘195’)

Literature comparison: Playthings from The Collection of Edward T. Chow. Sotheby’s, May 27 2014, HONG KONG, lot 127. (for a similar, yet smaller bottle from this group) The National Palace Museum of Taipei, Lifting the Spirit and Body: The Art and Culture of Snuff Bottles, lot III-071 (for a bottle of almost identical size and material, yet without the taotie masks).

Expertise: Alexander Zacke

根珀鼻煙壺, 清代

典型深棕色根珀, 帶捲雲形奶油、黃色髮絲, 自然開裂, 表面磨光平整, 帶些處自然變形, 古雅樣子, 中國, 1750–1850年



大約皇家內廷作品, 北京. 每旁雕成古雅饕餮獸面紋帶圓形把柄.



形狀：扁平削肩，下部收斂

掏膛：完善, 內部輪廓與外部相稱

瓶口、頸、瓶唇：短圓柱形頸, 平頭, 窄口, 深內部圓柱

底足：平面橢圓, 邊部稍微突出, 與身相稱

蓋: 蜜色瑪瑙

高（帶蓋）：7.8厘米

口徑：0.7厘米

頸部直徑：2.0厘米

狀態敘述：頸部帶一小裂痕

來源：G. de Menasce先生舊藏. 倫敦 Spink 拍賣家舊藏. 美國私人舊藏, 舊收藏標籤(“編號195”)在底

文獻: Playthings from The Collection of Edward T. Chow. Sotheby’s, 2014年5月27日, HONG KONG, 編號127. The National Palace Museum of Taipei, Lifting the Spirit and Body: The Art and Culture of Snuff Bottles, 編號III-071.