A CARVED RED OVERLAY SNOWFLAKE GLASS ‘DRAGON’ BRUSH HANDLE, QING DYNASTY
China, 1644-1912. The red overlay neatly carved against the snowflake ground to depict two scaly dragons writhing along the handle among lingzhi-shaped swirling clouds, the cap carved with crashing waves. Note the high relief and the remarkably fine incision work.


Expert’s note
: Due to the fine incision work and the high relief, this brush handle would fit rather comfortably in the painter’s or calligrapher’s hand. This is probably the reason why brushes made from overlay glass were quite popular at the time. On the other hand, only one small mishap would be enough for the brush to fall down, break and be irreparably damaged. This fact explains why these overlay glass brushes are so rare.


Provenance:
From the estate of Sear Hang Hwie Pao (1937-2009). Pao was one of Canada’s leading dealers of Chinese porcelain and works of art. His antique store, Pao & Moltke Ltd., owned together with his wife Mrs. von Moltke, who descended from a German and Danish noble family, was a fixture in Toronto’s trendy Yorkville area from the 1980s to early 2000s.

Condition:
Excellent condition with minor wear, possibly microscopic nicks, and expected manufacturing irregularities such as air bubbles and other minor flaws inside the glass.

Weight: 128.6 g
Dimensions: Height 18 cm

With a silk storage box and cover. (2)


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 16 September 2009, lot 170
Estimate: USD 3,000 or approx.
EUR 3,900
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A carved red overlay yellow glass ‘dragon’ brush handle, Qing dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and design. Note the yellow ground.




清代雪花地套寶石紅色料龍紋筆杆

中國，1644-1912年。雪花地套寶石紅浮雕如意祥雲雲中的飛龍，底部波濤起伏。雕刻精細。


專家注釋：
精美的筆杆非常適合文人使用。這可能就是當時玻璃筆杆受歡迎的原因。另一方面，這筆杆極易損壞。這也解釋了為什麼這些套料玻璃筆杆如此罕見的原因。


來源：
Sear Hang Hwie Pao (1937-2009年) 收藏。Pao是加拿大中國瓷器和藝術品的主要經銷商之一。他和妻子創立了Pao＆Moltke Ltd古玩店，他們的古玩店從1980年代到2000年代初期曾是多倫多時尚的Yorkville地區的熱門店鋪。

品相：
狀況極佳，有輕微磨損、微小的刻痕，以及製造缺陷，例如玻璃內部的氣泡和其他小缺陷。

重量：128.6 克
尺寸：高 18 釐米

內襯絲綢蓋盒 (2)


拍賣結果比較：

形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2009年9月16日，lot 170
估價：USD 3,000（相當於今日
EUR 3,900
）
描述：清代黃地套寶石紅色龍紋筆桿
專家評論：比較非常相近的外形和裝飾。請注意為黃地。