Chinese Works of ArtA LARGE GOLDEN AMBER SNUFF BOTTLE, ATTRIBUTED TO THE BEIJING PALACE WORKSHOPS, 1760-1820Golden root amber with superb age-patina.China, 1760-1820Of sweeping form with a large oval foot and very finely carved mask and ring handles at the shoulders, the bright golden yellow material suffused with deeper orange markings, diagonal striations and a faint craquelure overall.As yellow was a color reserved specifically for the Emperor, golden amber was a particularly prized material, and early products of the Imperial workshops are rare. The mask-and-ring handles on the present bottle are remarkably well carved - the masks take on the pugnacious visage of Pekinese dogs, with deeply carved eyes and cheeks and delicately fluted ears - characteristic workmanship of the Palace workshops. Because golden amber was so rare and hard to get, flawed material was often used by the palace workshops, such as in the present bottle, we several of such flaws have meticulously been filled with smaller pieces of amber (see detail images).Shape: Flattened sweeping formHollowing: OutstandingMouth, neck and lip: Sweeping cylindric neck, slanted lip and minuscule openingBase: Oval with broad, raised foot rimDesign, marks, school: Attributed to the Beijing Palace Workshops, 1760-1820Height of the bottle: 6,8 cm.Width of the mouth: 5 mm.Width of the neck: 20 mm.Weight: 32,3 gramsCondition: Old wear and traces of use, minor nibbling, a few nicks and several larger natural flaws, especially around the neckProvenance: Hungarian private collectionAuction result comparison: FINE CHINESE CERAMICS & WORKS OF ART. Sotheby’s, 31 MARCH 2005, NEW YORK, lot 411. (for another imperial golden amber bottle)金琥珀鼻烟壺，北京宮廷作坊製，1760-1820年金色根琥珀，良好歲月包漿品相良好，有些許磨痕及明顯天然裂紋，特別是壺頸周圍匈牙利私人收藏