AN IMPERIALLY INSCRIBED CELADON JADE SNUFF BOTTLE, MID-QING China, 18th century. Well hollowed, of flattened heart form, with a narrow foot and short oval-cylindrical neck. Delicately incised and gilt to both sides with stylized Shou characters. The translucent nephrite stone of a celadon tone with russet and cloudy white inclusions. Provenance: From a private collection in New York, USA. Condition: Excellent condition, expected wear to gilt, the stone with natural fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks over time. Stopper: Amethyst with black platelet Weight: 42.1 g Dimensions: Height including stopper 57 mm, Width of neck 19.5 mm, Diameter of mouth 5.5 mm Bottles of this flattened ovoid form were typical of Court production across a wide range of materials from the Qianlong period onwards, and with decoration such as this, of a generalized, auspicious nature, were produced as ideal gifts to be distributed to worthy officials. Literature comparison: A similar bottle of the same profile, inscribed with a long poem written in clerical script dated 1787, is illustrated in Moss, Graham, Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles, The Mary and George Bloch Collection, Vol. I, Hong Kong, 1995, no. 107. For a related, Imperial jade bottle of the same material and similar flattened form, but bearing a poem by the Qianlong Emperor, see Bob C. Stevens, The Collector's Book of Snuff Bottles, no. 360. Auction result comparison: Compare a closely related inscribed white jade snuff bottle, described as “Probably Imperial”, dated 1760-1840, and of similar form, at Sotheby's New York in Chinese Works of Art on 23 March 2004, lot 156, sold for USD 12,000. Compare also a related white jade snuff bottle, described as Imperial and also with a gilt inscription, at Christie's New York in The Ruth and Carl Barron Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles: Part IV on 15 March 2017, lot 318, sold for USD 40,000. 清代中期青玉鼻烟壺 中國，十八世紀。掏膛良好。扁平心形，頸部短圓柱形。精雕細琢，兩側鍍金，刻有壽字。青瓷色調的半透明軟玉，帶有赤褐色和絮狀內含物。 來源：美國紐約私人收藏 品相：品相極好，鎏金的預期磨損，具有天然裂縫的玉料，隨著時間的推移，其中一些脈理可能會發展成細小的裂縫。 壺蓋：紫晶，黑蓋托 重量：42.1 克 尺寸：含蓋高57 毫米, 頸部直徑19.5 毫米, 嘴部直徑5.5 毫米 拍賣結果比較：一件1760-1840年的白玉鼻烟壺，可能為御製，相似形狀，見紐約蘇富比 Chinese Works of Art 2004年3月23日 lot 156, 售價USD 12,000。一件同樣鎏金字的白玉鼻烟壺，可能爲御製見紐約佳士得The Ruth and Carl Barron Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles: Part IV 2017年3月15日 lot 318, 售價USD 40,000。