AN IMPERIAL YELLOW ‘DRAGON’ SNUFF BOTTLE, ENAMEL ON COPPER, CHINA, 18TH CENTURY
Probably made between 1720 and 1750 in Guangzhou for the Palace Workshops in Beijing. Of flattened form, the pear-shaped body rising from an oval foot to a cylindrical neck, the foot and mouth each with a distinct copper rim. Finely painted in bright enamels with a dragon chasing a flaming pearl amid swirling clouds above crashing waves, all against an Imperial yellow ground, the foot and neck with blue line borders against a white ground. The neck and foot each flanked by a pair of loop handles. The base neatly enameled with a stylized floral mark.


Provenance:
Jade House, Hong Kong, 1996. Collection of Cynthia G. Locke, acquired from the above and thence by descent. A copy of the original invoice from Jade House, dated 28 October 1996, confirming the dating above, and stating a purchase price of USD 1,500 or approx. EUR 2,700 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing), accompanies this lot. Cynthia Graser Locke (1923-2019) was an American collector of snuff bottles who lived in Duxbury, Massachusetts. She was an active member of the International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society which allowed her to travel the world, attending many of the Society’s conventions.

Condition:
Good condition with minor old wear and manufacturing irregularities, minor flaking and small losses to the enamel.

Stopper: Gilt metal (20th century)
Weight: 20.5 g
Dimensions: Height including stopper 62 mm. Diameter neck 10 mm and mouth 8 mm.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams New York, 16 March 2015, lot 1099
Price: USD 4,750 or approx.
EUR 5,500
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An enamel on copper 'dragon' snuff bottle, probably Imperial, Palace Workshops, Guangzhou. 1720-1750
Expert remark: Compare the closely related enamel decoration on a copper body with similarly painted dragons and a blue line border. Note the size (7.3 cm).




十八世紀銅胎琺瑯黃地飛龍鼻煙壺

可能爲1720 -1750年間，廣州，為宮廷製作。器身扁平，呈梨形，橢圓形圈足，足和壺口有銅邊。精美琺瑯彩繪一條浪上飛龍戲珠，黃色釉地，足部和頸部白地藍紋。頸部和足部兩側各有一對環形耳。


來源：
香港Jade House藝廊，1996年。Cynthia G. Locke私人收藏，購於上述藝廊，保存至今。隨附一份Jade House藝廊1996年10月28日出具的原始發票複印件，確認以上斷代以及售價為USD 1,500 ，相當於 EUR 2,700 (根據當時通貨膨脹率)。Cynthia Graser Locke (1923-2019年) 是一位住在美國馬薩諸塞州達克斯伯裡的鼻煙壺收藏家。 她是國際中國鼻煙壺協會的活躍成員，她曾環遊世界，參加協會的許多會議。

品相：
狀況良好，有輕微磨損和製造不規則、輕微剝落和琺瑯小缺損。

壺蓋：鎏金金屬蓋 (二十世紀)
重量：20.5 克
尺寸：含壺蓋高62 毫米，頸部直徑10 毫米，壺口直徑 8 毫米


拍賣結果比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：紐約邦瀚斯， 2015年3月16日，lot 1099
價格：USD 4,750（相當於今日
EUR 5,500
）
描述：1720-1750年銅胎畫琺瑯飛龍吐珠鼻煙壺
專家評論：比較非常相近的銅體上有琺瑯裝飾，有類似的彩繪龍和藍色線條邊框。請注意尺寸(7.3 釐米)。