A BLUE AND WHITE ‘DRAGON’ SNUFF BOTTLE, MID-QING DYNASTYChina, 1750-1850. Of flattened globular form, supported on a short oval foot and rising to a slightly flared cylindrical neck, painted in cobalt blue with a sinuous dragon chasing the magic pearl amid flames and clouds, above a second dragon emerging from crashing waves to snatch the pearl. The neck with a band of alternating pendent tassels and dots. The base with an underglaze-blue four-character markQianlong nianzhi.Provenance: English trade.Condition: Excellent condition with only minor wear and small firing irregularities.Stopper: Green aventurineWeight: 59 gDimensions: Height incl. stopper 75 mm. Diameter neck 21 mm and mouth 9 mmAuction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 5 April 2016, lot 178Price: HKD 56,250 or approx.EUR 7,700 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A fine blue and white ‘dragon’ snuff bottle, mid-Qing dynastyExpert remark:pare the closely related depiction of a dragon pursuing a flaming pearl above cresting waves, contested by another dragon half-submerged in waves. Note that this bottle also has a Qianlong reign mark, with Christie's dating it to “mid-Qing dynasty”.清代中期青花龍紋鼻煙壺中國，1750-1850年。壺呈扁圓形，壺口微撇，短頸，豐肩，鼓腹，橢圓形圈足。壺身青花描繪雙龍戲珠紋，在洶湧澎湃的海浪襯托下，展現出王者的風範。圈足内青花“乾隆年製”四字款。