China Chinese snuffbox in pink and white multilayer glass...

Elegant Chinese glass snuff bottle in multilayer pink and white, Qing dynasty, circa 1750–1820. This remarkable snuff bottle presents a classic flat form, often described as a “spade form,” with full, rounded shoulders, a short cylindrical neck with a wide opening, and a neatly polished small straight foot. The principal interest of the piece lies in its multilayer pink-and-white glass, known in specialist literature by the English term sandwich glass. The body is made of a cloudy white translucent glass in which delicate pink swirls appear, ranging from pale pink to deeper tones close to raspberry. These clouds and marbling are not painted decoration: they are embedded within the thickness of the glass, producing depth and diffusion effects that are especially appealing when the bottle is viewed from different angles or in light. This technique belongs to a refined tradition of Chinese glassmaking during the Qing dynasty. Chinese workshops at the time mastered the fusion of glasses of different colors as well as the introduction of veins, stains, and layered colored aspects intended, in particular, to evoke nuances of natural stones. Comparable techniques are documented in several major museum collections devoted to Chinese snuff bottles. The sober shape of this bottle leaves ample room for the material’s play. From one face to the other, the distribution of pink varies considerably: some areas stay almost white and opalescent, while others show broader patches and colored streaks around the shoulders and sides. Each view thus offers a slightly different appearance. The flask retains its domed cap in red-orange jasper, animated by dark natural veins and separated from the neck by a black ring. The prying spoon is also preserved, an important detail for the object’s functional integrity. This type of glass is closely linked to the great productions of Chinese glassware of the Qing period and finds parallels in the Beijing and northern Chinese tradition. In the absence of a reign mark or court provenance documented, no formal imperial attribution is proposed here. The piece comes from the collection of a prominent collector of Chinese snuff bottles in New York, USA. An old collection label is still present under the base, forming an interesting element of its history. It was subsequently sold at public auction in 2024 and is currently part of a private Belgian collection. Condition: very good overall. Light signs of use and small manufacturing irregularities in the glass. A minute old nick is visible at the foot. No significant repairs or structural restorations are visible. The stopper and its spoon are intact. Dimensions: Height: 7 cm Width: 5 cm Depth: 2.2 cm Weight: 50.8 g The bottle is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and a detailed Mimosa study, including material and technique analysis, stylistic and chronological study, provenance, and institutional comparisons. This is a very beautiful Qing snuff bottle, appreciated for both the purity of its form, the subtlety of its pink-and-white glass, and the complete presence of its stopper and spoon.

Estimation:2.000€

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