A ROOT AMBER SNUFF BOTTLE, 1750-1850 China. Of flattened ovoid form, surmounted by a tubular neck with flat lip, the shoulders finely carved with lion mask and mock ring handles, supported on an oval foot ring, the remaining surfaces unadorned to best display the swirled and variegated material with patterns resembling an ancient piece of burl wood.

Provenance: From the collection of Dr. Erika Pohl-Ströher (1919-2016), thence by descent in the same family. Dr. Erika Pohl-Ströher was a German-born Swiss resident and heiress to the hair care and cosmetics company Wella AG. She was a passionate collector and had amassed in her lifetime various important art collections, as well as one of the world’s most valuable collections of gems and minerals.
Condition: Good condition with some wear, light surface scratches, some nibbling around the lip and base, a few nicks and minor natural flaws.

Stopper: Aventurine stopper, carved spoon
Weight: 43 g
Dimensions: Height including stopper 68 mm. Diameter neck 12 mm and mouth 7 mm.

Literature comparison: For a similar root-amber bottle still in the Imperial Collection see Chang Lin-Sheng, ‘Snuff Bottles in the Collection of the National Palace Museum’, Taipei, 1991, p. 252, no.374.

Auction result comparison: Compare a related root amber snuff bottle with mask handles, dated 1780-1850, at Bonhams New York in The Dr Sylvan and Faith Golder Collection of Fine Chinese Snuff Bottles, Part II on 19 March 2018, lot 144, sold for USD 3,125. Compare also a related root amber snuff bottle with mask handles, dated to the 19^th century, at Bonhams New York in Fine Chinese Paintings and Works of Art on 21 July 2020, lot 116, at an estimate of USD 3,500-5000.

1750-1850年根珀鼻烟壺
中國。根珀扁壺，器身光素，兩肩有獅面輔首，圓柱頸，平唇，圈足，表面光滑，呈現出瘤木般漂亮的花紋。

來源：Erika Pohl-Ströher（1919-2016）博士收藏，保存於同一家族至今。Erika Pohl-Ströher博士是德國出生的瑞士人，是護髮和化妝品公司Wella AG的女繼承人。她是一位有熱誠的收藏家，一生中積累了許多重要的藝術收藏，以及世界上最有價值的寶石和礦石收藏之一。
品相：狀況良好，有一些磨損，輕微的表面劃痕，唇部和底部有一些磕損，一些刻痕和輕微的天然瑕疵。
壺蓋: 砂金石，經過雕刻的小勺
重量：43 克
尺寸：含壺蓋高 68 毫米，頸部直徑12 毫米，嘴部直徑 7 毫米

拍賣結果比較：比較一件相近的1780-1850年根珀輔首鼻烟壺，見紐約邦翰思The Dr Sylvan and Faith Golder Collection of Fine Chinese Snuff Bottles, Part II 2018年3月19日 lot 144, 售價USD 3,125 ；比較另一件十九世紀根珀鼻輔首烟壺，見紐約邦翰思Fine Chinese Paintings and Works of Art 2020年7月21日lot 116, 估價USD 3,500-5000。