A RUBY-RED OVERLAY ON OPALESCENT GLASS SNUFF BOTTLEImperial, attributed to the Palace Workshops, Beijing，1730-1795 Of ruby-red on an opalescent snowflake ground, of rounded form, with shoulders sloping to a cylindrical neck with a wide mouth and a neatly carved oval footrim, carved on each main side with a circle formed by a pair of interlocking stylized, confronting dragons grasping a 'flaming pearl', the narrow sides overlaid with oval panels; stopper. 2in (5.3cm) high 1730-1795 半透明白套紅料刻雙龍戲珠鼻煙壺一件 御製 或為北京宮廷作坊製 Provenance: Sotheby's, London, June 6, 1988, A Private Collection, lot 28 Joan and Ted Dorf Collection, no. 11 Exhibited: The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, MD., September 30 – December 9, 2018 Whilst confronting dragons are relativelymon on bottles of varying materials produced in the Palace Workshops, they are usually more formal in their portrayal. Although the dragons depicted on this rare and unique bottle are stylized with their bodies of interlocking scrolls, a vivacity is retained in the design.