Page 54 - Christie's China Trade Auction January 2017 New York City

THE POPOWICH COLLECTION
OF CHINESE EXPORT SNUFFBOXES
(Lots 371 to 399)

Snuff-taking, like so much else, came from Asia to Europe
in the Age of Exploration and was well-established among
the fashionable classes by the end of the 17th century.
Associated with royalty and the aristocracy, snuff-taking was
an inherently social pursuit, involving the trading and sharing
of favored blends. Boxes made to hold the powdered tobacco
were kept in the lefthand pocket; body heat enhanced the
bouquet. Flat tops and tight metal mounts kept the tobacco
dry and fresh, while the luxurious materials and decoration
of these most personal objects telegraphed their owners’
elegance. Typically, a box was removed with a fourish,
tapped three times to settle the powder, and then offered to
one’s comrades, its open cover often revealing a charmingly
decorated interior.

371 372 373
A FAMILLE ROSE PORCELAIN A MEISSEN STYLE PORCELAIN
371 CIRCULAR SNUFF BOX SNUFF BOX
A FAMILLE ROSE PORCELAIN QIANLONG PERIOD (1735-96) QIANLONG PERIOD (1735-96)
SNUFF BOX
QIANLONG PERIOD (1735-96) Enameled inside with two Chinese The interior and the base with
shepherds, a tropical landscape conforming foral and fruit sprays
Finely painted en grisaille with a 17th vignette on the base 2æ in. (7 cm.) long
century Dutch couple, top and sides 2æ in. (7 cm.) diameter
with blossoms, the base with a puce $3,000-5,000
fower spray $2,000-3,000
3¿ in. (7.9 cm.) wide

$6,000-8,000

372 373
52 CHINESE EXPORT ART