chine Polychrome glazed porcelain, famille rose enamels (fencai), iron red and gilding Rare pair of Qing dynasty snuff boxes in famille rose porcelain with a yellow ground – “Children at - 7.8 cm

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Peter Reynaers
Expert
Selected by Peter Reynaers

Has nearly 30 years’ experience and moderated multiple online art research groups.

Estimate  € 5,300 - € 6,100
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Rare pair of Qing dynasty porcelain tobacco/snuff bottles in polychrome famille rose on a lemon-yellow ground, each 7.8 cm tall with iron-red and gilt decoration and four-character Qianlong period marks under the base, accompanied by jadeite cabochon stoppers, in very good condition and originating from an old Taiwanese private collection, acquired in 2025 from an Austrian seller.

AI-assisted summary

Description from the seller

Rare pair of Chinese porcelain enamelled in polychrome famille Rose (fencai), Qing dynasty, with lemon-yellow ground and famille rose (fencai) decoration, bearing under the base the four-character iron-red seal marks Qianlong nianzhi 乾隆年製.

The two snuff bottles show a fine unity of form and decoration. With a flattened, elegant silhouette, each bears on its large faces a white panel framed by iron-red and gilding, animated by scenes of children at play: two children on one face and three on the other.

The yellow ground is enriched with polychrome floral tendrils, stylised flowers, and on the narrow sides, small masks in light relief and auspicious motifs. The finesse of the character painting, the richness of the palette, and the balance of the decoration give this pair a particularly elegant presence.

Compared with several closely related antique examples, this pair can be dated to the late 18th or early 19th century, with a stylistic center corresponding to the late Qianlong reign and the Jiaqing period, around 1780–1820.

The two snuff bottles come with their jadeite cabochon stoppers, well matched to the necks.

Dimensions: height 7.8 cm each.
Weight: about 31 g each.

Provenance: old private Taiwanese collection, formed mainly in the 1980s–1990s.

Very good overall condition for its age, with minor ancient wear, small abrasions to enamels and gilding, and a few firing irregularities. Please study carefully the numerous close-up photographs.

A detailed study certificate accompanies the lot.

video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/puw4bpyzjfmpbseuud8vx/ANdreuaR72jcV_ELoIWdB5Y?rlkey=fvdlpz4f7ae3qxfylh49p3k3w&dl=0

Seller's Story

MIMOSA SA — EXPERTISE, RESEARCH AND TRANSMISSION For more than 26 years, I have been working as an art dealer specializing in ancient Asian arts. My work is not simply to offer objects: it is to observe them, to understand them, to study them and to document them before passing them to a new collector. Each work presented by Mimosa SA undergoes thorough examination. Depending on its nature, this study may concern the iconography, the style, the proportions, the material, the execution techniques, surface traces, patina, the condition, restorations, provenance as well as relevant bibliographic, museum or archaeological comparisons. When justified, additional scientific analyses may also be undertaken. Our approach rests on the experience of sight, gained from direct contact with the works for over two decades, but also on methodical and constantly renewed research. We always favor a cautious, coherent and argued attribution rather than a seductive but insufficiently substantiated assertion. Transparency is at the heart of our approach. The wear, gaps, accidents, ancient restorations or more recent interventions are reported as precisely as possible. When an attribution carries uncertainty or remains a working hypothesis, it is clearly presented as such. Present on Catawiki since 2016, we have chosen to maintain a regular selection of works there in order to meet international collectors who value authenticity, knowledge and quality of documentation. Each acquisition is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued under our professional responsibility. For the most important works, this certificate takes the form of a genuine study dossier gathering the main technical, stylistic, iconographic, historical and bibliographic observations made during our research. The same standard applies to shipping. Over the years, we have developed a packaging method adapted to old, fragile, heavy or complex-shaped objects. Each work is protected, immobilized and carefully packaged, according to its material and its particularities. The shipping costs correspond to the real needs for protection, handling, insurance and secure transport. Shipping is never regarded as a source of commercial profit. Acquiring a work from Mimosa SA is to receive a selected, studied, described, documented and prepared object with the same care that we would wish for a work destined for our own collection.
Translated by Google Translate

Rare pair of Chinese porcelain enamelled in polychrome famille Rose (fencai), Qing dynasty, with lemon-yellow ground and famille rose (fencai) decoration, bearing under the base the four-character iron-red seal marks Qianlong nianzhi 乾隆年製.

The two snuff bottles show a fine unity of form and decoration. With a flattened, elegant silhouette, each bears on its large faces a white panel framed by iron-red and gilding, animated by scenes of children at play: two children on one face and three on the other.

The yellow ground is enriched with polychrome floral tendrils, stylised flowers, and on the narrow sides, small masks in light relief and auspicious motifs. The finesse of the character painting, the richness of the palette, and the balance of the decoration give this pair a particularly elegant presence.

Compared with several closely related antique examples, this pair can be dated to the late 18th or early 19th century, with a stylistic center corresponding to the late Qianlong reign and the Jiaqing period, around 1780–1820.

The two snuff bottles come with their jadeite cabochon stoppers, well matched to the necks.

Dimensions: height 7.8 cm each.
Weight: about 31 g each.

Provenance: old private Taiwanese collection, formed mainly in the 1980s–1990s.

Very good overall condition for its age, with minor ancient wear, small abrasions to enamels and gilding, and a few firing irregularities. Please study carefully the numerous close-up photographs.

A detailed study certificate accompanies the lot.

video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/puw4bpyzjfmpbseuud8vx/ANdreuaR72jcV_ELoIWdB5Y?rlkey=fvdlpz4f7ae3qxfylh49p3k3w&dl=0

Seller's Story

MIMOSA SA — EXPERTISE, RESEARCH AND TRANSMISSION For more than 26 years, I have been working as an art dealer specializing in ancient Asian arts. My work is not simply to offer objects: it is to observe them, to understand them, to study them and to document them before passing them to a new collector. Each work presented by Mimosa SA undergoes thorough examination. Depending on its nature, this study may concern the iconography, the style, the proportions, the material, the execution techniques, surface traces, patina, the condition, restorations, provenance as well as relevant bibliographic, museum or archaeological comparisons. When justified, additional scientific analyses may also be undertaken. Our approach rests on the experience of sight, gained from direct contact with the works for over two decades, but also on methodical and constantly renewed research. We always favor a cautious, coherent and argued attribution rather than a seductive but insufficiently substantiated assertion. Transparency is at the heart of our approach. The wear, gaps, accidents, ancient restorations or more recent interventions are reported as precisely as possible. When an attribution carries uncertainty or remains a working hypothesis, it is clearly presented as such. Present on Catawiki since 2016, we have chosen to maintain a regular selection of works there in order to meet international collectors who value authenticity, knowledge and quality of documentation. Each acquisition is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued under our professional responsibility. For the most important works, this certificate takes the form of a genuine study dossier gathering the main technical, stylistic, iconographic, historical and bibliographic observations made during our research. The same standard applies to shipping. Over the years, we have developed a packaging method adapted to old, fragile, heavy or complex-shaped objects. Each work is protected, immobilized and carefully packaged, according to its material and its particularities. The shipping costs correspond to the real needs for protection, handling, insurance and secure transport. Shipping is never regarded as a source of commercial profit. Acquiring a work from Mimosa SA is to receive a selected, studied, described, documented and prepared object with the same care that we would wish for a work destined for our own collection.
Translated by Google Translate

Details

Culture
chine
Century/timeframe
Fin XVIIIe – début XIXe siècle | fin Qianlong – Jiaqing, vers 1780–1820, fourchette prudente
Name of object
Rare pair of Qing dynasty snuff boxes in famille rose porcelain with a yellow ground – “Children at
Acquired from
Auction house
Year acquired
2025
Material
Polychrome glazed porcelain, famille rose enamels (fencai), iron red and gilding
Country acquired from
Austria
Condition
Very good
Previous owner acquired from
Private collection
Height
7.8 cm
Previous owner - year acquired
1980
Width
4 cm
Previous owner - country acquired from
Taiwan
Depth
1.6 cm
I verify that I have obtained this object legally and that I am allowed to sell it
Yes
Authenticity
Original/official
BelgiumVerified
505
Objects sold
pro

Disclaimer

The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.

The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.

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