Page 93 - Fine Chinese, Japanese and Buddhist Art September 28, 2018 Galerie Zacke

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A ROOT-AMBER SNUFF BOTTLE, 1770-1860 A LARGE GOLDEN AMBER SNUFF BOTTLE, ATTRIBUTED TO
Root amber of intense honey-brown color with clouds of russet, good THE BEIJING PALACE WORKSHOPS, 1760-1820
surface finish and patina Golden root amber with superb age-patina.
China, 1770-1860 China, 1760-1820

Of bulbous, ovoid form, the deep honey-brown transparent material Of sweeping form with a large oval foot and very finely carved
with large opaque clouds of milky-russet color, the sides masterfully mask and ring handles at the shoulders, the bright golden
carved with masks and fixed-ring handles. A particularly striking example yellow material suffused with deeper orange markings, diagonal
from the mid-Qing group of plain amber bottles! striations and a faint craquelure overall.
As yellow was a color reserved specifically for the Emperor,
Shape: Bulbous ovoid form golden amber was a particularly prized material, and early
Hollowing: Excellent products of the Imperial workshops are rare. The mask-and-
Mouth, neck and lip: Cylindric neck with flat top and very small mouth ring handles on the present bottle are remarkably well carved
Base: Oval with raised foot rim - the masks take on the pugnacious visage of Pekinese dogs,
Stopper: Red coral cabochon with gilt bronze platelet, old spoon with deeply carved eyes and cheeks and delicately fluted ears -
Height of the bottle with stopper: 6,3 cm. characteristic workmanship of the Palace workshops.
Width of the mouth: 5 mm. Because golden amber was so rare and hard to get, flawed
Width of the neck: 16 mm. material was often used by the palace workshops, such as in the
Weight: 35,3 grams present bottle, we several of such flaws have meticulously been
Condition: Excellent condition with minor natural flaws and some filled with smaller pieces of amber (see detail images).
minuscule nibbling
Provenance: Hungarian private collection Shape: Flattened sweeping form
Hollowing: Outstanding
Literature comparison: For a similar root-amber bottle still in the Imperial Mouth, neck and lip: Sweeping cylindric neck, slanted lip and
Collection see Chang Lin-sheng, Snuff Bottles in the Collection of the minuscule opening
National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1991, p. 252, no. 374. Base: Oval with broad, raised foot rim
Design, marks, school: Attributed to the Beijing Palace
Auction result comparison: THE BLANCHE B. EXSTEIN COLLECTION OF Workshops, 1760-1820
CHINESE SNUFF BOTTLES. Christies, New York, 21 March 2002, lot 105. Height of the bottle: 6,8 cm.
(for a similar bottle) Width of the mouth: 5 mm.
Width of the neck: 20 mm.
㟡䍨滣䂇⢢炻1770-1860⸜ Weight: 32,3 grams
囄㡽刚㟡䍨炻暚䉨㰩刚炻堐朊列⤥䢐⃱炻⊭㻧⬴┬ Condition: Old wear and traces of use, minor nibbling, a few
⑩䚠㤝Ἓ nicks and several larger natural flaws, especially around the neck
⊰䈁⇑䥩Ṣ㓞啷 Provenance: Hungarian private collection

EstimateġEUR 600,- Auction result comparison: FINE CHINESE CERAMICS & WORKS
Starting price EUR 300,- OF ART. Sotheby’s, 31 MARCH 2005, NEW YORK, lot 411. (for
another imperial golden amber bottle)

慹䏍䍨滣䂇⢢炻⊿Ṕ⭖⺟ἄ⛲墥炻1760-1820⸜
慹刚㟡䏍䍨炻列⤥㬚㚰⊭㻧
⑩䚠列⤥炻㚱ṃ姙䢐䕽⍲㖶栗⣑䃞塪䲳炻䈡⇍㗗⢢柠␐⚵
⊰䈁⇑䥩Ṣ㓞啷

EstimateġEUR 800,-
Starting price EUR 400,-

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