China Gray-green, black, and reddish-brown jade snuffbox. - 7 cm

Elegant Chinese jade snuff bottle from the mid-Qing dynasty, dating to around 1750–1850. The bottle adopts an elegantly compressed globular form, with rounded shoulders, a short cylindrical neck and a flat base. It has been carefully hollowed through opening and retains an exceptionally soft and even antique polish. Its main allure lies in the remarkable visual quality of the stone. The jade naturally presents a rich combination of gray-green, olive-brown, black and russet tones, distributed irregularly throughout the mass. Depending on the angle and lighting, these zones form an almost abstract and pictorial décor. The bottle has deliberately been left unsculpted to fully highlight these natural variations of the material. The contrast between the dark zones and the lighter parts of the jade gives this snuff bottle a very particular presence, while the hemispherical green quartz stopper, mounted on cork, completes the ensemble in harmony. The form, the hollowing, the proportions and the lapidary treatment sit within the tradition of hardstone snuff bottles produced under the Qing dynasty. Institutional collections retain several Qing jade bottles of comparable size and design, illustrating the emphasis placed on the intrinsic beauty of the stone in this very specialized Chinese flacon art. Dimensions: 7 × 5 × 3 cm Weight: 114.7 g Stopper: green quartz on cork. Condition: good overall considering its age, with minor wear, micro-scratches and a few small nibbles around the mouth opening. No major fractures or visible structural restorations. Provenance: former French private collection; then Belgian private collection. A sober yet highly expressive snuff bottle, whose interest rests above all in the quality, contrast and natural distribution of jade colors, particularly appealing in the hand. video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/fpyby3pr2cwa14tu2jvzc/AJ40TYI-PiZxP5RzbtlkbA8?rlkey=112g93hq009jcdqau7odw3myt&dl=0

Estimate:£1,695.22

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