A ‘FAMILLE ROSE’ ENAMELLED AND CARVED WHITE GLASS GUYUE XUAN SNUFF BOTTLE
Molded and carved opaque white glass with multicolor enamel painting. China, 1770-1799

Imperial Palace Workshops, Beijing. The Guyue Xuan three-character-mark painted in iron red on the base.
The paintwork skillfully executed in ‘Famille Rose’ enamels to depict a wayfarer in a garden scene with a kid and a dog passing by, verso a resting scholar and a playing boy in a rive landscape. Flanked by molded and carved mask-and-ring handles in a courtly style, both with neatly incised and painted details.
After the initial period of development of the Guyue xuan style from 1767 to around 1770, there followed a period of crisp, confident and technically excellent snuff bottles of two main types: one which was enameled on the flat surface of the bottle and one where the enameling was added to enhance and complete a partial relief design. The carved group most likely evolved from the earlier, single-plane group. This evolution probably took place sometime between 1767 when the Qianlong Emperor completed his intended retirement home, which included the terrace named Guyue xuan, and the 1780s, with production possibly continuing until his death in 1799. The carved-relief bottles required close cooperation of several high-quality, experienced glassworks. Such close co-operation between private workshops was unusual, but standard at the Imperial workshops. For further research into this intriguing area of Palace enameling, see H. Moss, "Mysteries of the Ancient Moon," JICSBS, Spring 2006. Guyue xuan is the name of one of the halls within the Changchun Yuan (a series of Imperial gardens to the West of Beijing adjoining the Yuanming Yuan, known collectively as the Summer Palace). The Changchun Yuan was intended as a retirement home for the Qianlong Emperor, although he never took up full-time residence there. When the Guyue xuan was completed in 1767, the Emperor ordered a group of wares for that particular pavilion which appears to have been mostly in enamel on glass. See P. Y. K. Lam, "Studio marks in Imperial and Court Related Snuff Bottles," in The Imperial Connection. Court Related Chinese Snuff Bottles, The Humphrey K. F. Hui Collection, pp. 33-34.*

Shape: Flattened sprawling shape with broad shoulders
Hollowing: Standard
Mouth, neck and lip: Elegant sprawling short neck with slanted lip, flat top and small mouth
Base: Oval with raised foot rim
Stopper: Spinach green nephrite
Height of the bottle with stopper: 6.8 cm
Width of the mouth: 5 mm
Width of the neck: 14 mm
Condition: Absolutely perfect
Provenance: American Private Collection

*) Essay courtesy of IMPORTANT CHINESE SNUFF BOTTLES FROM THE J&J COLLECTION, PART IV. Christie’s, March 22nd 2007, New York, lots 40 and 52.

Literature comparison: The Joe Grimberg Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles. Sotheby’s, September 14th 2010, NEW YORK, lot 11. The Meriem Collection Important Chinese Snuff Bottles. Christie’s, September 19th 2007, lot 680. SNUFF BOTTLES FROM THE MARY AND GEORGE BLOCH COLLECTION. Bonham’s, May 28th 2010, HONG KONG, lot 135. (all for bottles with the same mark and carved features).

Expertise: Alexander Zacke

古月軒粉彩白料人物鼻煙壺

不透明白料，粉彩

中國, 1770–1799年

北京皇家內廷作品, 底足上有釉上紅古月軒三字款

正面巧妙地用粉彩繪文人在花園行圖, 背面有文人休息與童戲水邊圖. 兩側獸首耳，皇室風格雕兼繪成. 細節頗為講究.

形狀：平面展開行, 寬肩部

掏膛：標準

瓶口、頸、瓶唇： 優雅展開短頸, 平頭, 小口

底足：橢圓形, 足邊突出

蓋: 綠玉

高（帶蓋）：6.8厘米

口徑：0.5厘米

頸部直徑：1.4厘米

狀態敘述：完善

來源：美國私人舊藏

文獻: The Joe Grimberg Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles. Sotheby’s, 2010年9月14日, NEW YORK, 編號11. The Meriem Collection Important Chinese Snuff Bottles. Christie’s, 2007年9月19日, 編號 680. SNUFF BOTTLES FROM THE MARY AND GEORGE BLOCH COLLECTION. Bonham’s, 2010 年5月28日, HONG KONG, 編號135.