chine Two-tone glass

Beautiful Chinese snuff bottle in bi-colour glass, white and amber-brown, made under the Qing dynasty in the 19th century. Circular in shape and strongly flattened, it presents a body with particularly balanced proportions, extended by a cylindrical neck and resting on a small flat base. The piece’s appeal lies mainly in the very successful use of two contrasting glass tones: a substantial cream-white area, slightly translucent, is paired with a broad amber-orange to brownish-amber expanse that naturally develops over much of one face and continues onto the sides. This chromatic combination clearly aims to resemble certain Chinese hard stones, especially jades or nephrites with a reddish skin. Rather than adding carved decoration, the glassmaker left the material completely smooth to highlight this natural contrast between white and amber. The soft polishing and simple silhouette give the bottle a particularly sober and elegant aesthetic. The interior is hollowed by a relatively narrow opening, in keeping with the traditional technique of Chinese snuff bottles. The green stone stopper is preserved, with its cork and its small spoon. Dimensions: 7 cm high × 5 cm wide × 2.5 cm deep. Weight: 63 g. Good overall condition for its age. Presence of fine scratches, signs of wear and small surface irregularities. A few very small nicks are visible at the mouth. The small dark specks visible in certain areas belong to the glass material and to its manufacturing process. Please carefully view the numerous detailed photographs, which are an integral part of the condition description. Provenance: former European collection; acquired on the European art market in 2021. The piece is accompanied by its Mimosa study certificate. A Qing snuff bottle seduced by its simplicity, its proportions, and especially by the highly decorative contrast of its cream-white and amber-brown glass, recalling the aesthetics of hard stones traditionally sought after by Chinese collectors. video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/7ge0rh2oxz58e84num9xg/AJFUocNH2LHWQX1OpiZtL8A?rlkey=nfa8557u898b4t3s31pl3zxqm&dl=0

Estimate:£469.68

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