China Chinese snuffbox in pink and white multilayer glass 'sandwiched glass' - 7 cm
13
days
04
hours
43
minutes
01
second
Current bid
€ 50
Reserve price not met
Expert
Selected by Peter Reynaers
Has nearly 30 years’ experience and moderated multiple online art research groups.
Estimate € 2,000 - € 2,500
 | €50 | |
|---|---|---|
 | €3 | |
| €2 | |
Catawiki Buyer Protection
Your payment’s safe with us until you receive your object.View details
Trustpilot 4.4 | 142553 reviews
Rated Excellent on Trustpilot.
Original Qing dynasty glass snuff bottle of rose and white multi-layered “sandwiched glass” with spade form, 7 x 5 x 2.2 cm, 50.8 g, complete with stopper and spoon, dating to circa 1750–1820 and coming from a New York private collection before entering a Belgian private collection in 2024.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Elegant Chinese glass snuff bottle in pink and white multicolour layered glass, Qing dynasty, circa 1750–1820.
This remarkable snuff bottle features a flattened classic form, often described as a “spade form,” with full rounded shoulders, a short cylindrical neck with a wide opening, and a neatly polished small upright foot.
The main interest of the piece lies in its pink and white multilayer glass, known in the specialized literature by the English term sandwiched glass. The body is made of milky to translucent white glass in which delicate pink concentrations appear, ranging from pale pink to stronger tones close to raspberry. These hazes and marbling do not constitute painted decoration: they are integrated into the very thickness of the glass, producing depth and diffusion effects that are particularly appealing when the bottle is viewed from different angles or under light.
This process belongs to a refined tradition of Qing dynasty Chinese glassmaking. Chinese workshops of the period mastered the fusion of glasses of different colors as well as the introduction of veining, spots and color layers intended to evoke the nuances of natural stones. Comparable techniques are documented in several major museum collections dedicated to Chinese snuff bottles.
The bottle’s restrained form leaves ample room for the material’s interaction. From one side to the other, the distribution of pink varies considerably: some areas remain almost white and opalescent, while other areas display broader bands and colored streaks around the shoulders and sides. Each view thus offers a slightly different aspect.
The flask retains its dome-shaped stopper in red-orange jasper, animated by natural dark veins and separated from the neck by a black disc. The tasting spoon is also preserved, an important detail for the object’s functional integrity.
This type of glass is closely connected with the great productions of Chinese glassware of the Qing era and finds parallels in the Beijing and northern China tradition. In the absence of a reign mark or court provenance documented, no formal imperial attribution is offered here.
The piece comes from the collection of a prominent collector of Chinese snuff bottles in New York, United States. An old collection label remains under the base, forming an interesting element of its history. It was subsequently sold at public sale in 2024 and is currently part of a private Belgian collection.
Condition: very good overall. Light signs of handling and small manufacturing irregularities in the glass. A tiny, ancient flake is visible at the foot. No inpainting or major structural restoration is visible. The stopper and spoon are preserved.
Dimensions:
Height: 7 cm
Width: 5 cm
Depth: 2.2 cm
Weight: 50.8 g
The bottle is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and a detailed Mimosa study, including material and technique analysis, stylistic and chronological study, provenance and institutional comparisons.
This is a very fine Qing snuff bottle, appreciated both for the purity of its form, the subtlety of its pink and white glass, and the complete presence of its stopper and spoon.
video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/0na5s30sx38ehhc3qm5pj/AGqaiJGxPnej05eOcoQhvqw?rlkey=0w3h6zcnusrjqafvc3peswfxt&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 TranslateElegant Chinese glass snuff bottle in pink and white multicolour layered glass, Qing dynasty, circa 1750–1820.
This remarkable snuff bottle features a flattened classic form, often described as a “spade form,” with full rounded shoulders, a short cylindrical neck with a wide opening, and a neatly polished small upright foot.
The main interest of the piece lies in its pink and white multilayer glass, known in the specialized literature by the English term sandwiched glass. The body is made of milky to translucent white glass in which delicate pink concentrations appear, ranging from pale pink to stronger tones close to raspberry. These hazes and marbling do not constitute painted decoration: they are integrated into the very thickness of the glass, producing depth and diffusion effects that are particularly appealing when the bottle is viewed from different angles or under light.
This process belongs to a refined tradition of Qing dynasty Chinese glassmaking. Chinese workshops of the period mastered the fusion of glasses of different colors as well as the introduction of veining, spots and color layers intended to evoke the nuances of natural stones. Comparable techniques are documented in several major museum collections dedicated to Chinese snuff bottles.
The bottle’s restrained form leaves ample room for the material’s interaction. From one side to the other, the distribution of pink varies considerably: some areas remain almost white and opalescent, while other areas display broader bands and colored streaks around the shoulders and sides. Each view thus offers a slightly different aspect.
The flask retains its dome-shaped stopper in red-orange jasper, animated by natural dark veins and separated from the neck by a black disc. The tasting spoon is also preserved, an important detail for the object’s functional integrity.
This type of glass is closely connected with the great productions of Chinese glassware of the Qing era and finds parallels in the Beijing and northern China tradition. In the absence of a reign mark or court provenance documented, no formal imperial attribution is offered here.
The piece comes from the collection of a prominent collector of Chinese snuff bottles in New York, United States. An old collection label remains under the base, forming an interesting element of its history. It was subsequently sold at public sale in 2024 and is currently part of a private Belgian collection.
Condition: very good overall. Light signs of handling and small manufacturing irregularities in the glass. A tiny, ancient flake is visible at the foot. No inpainting or major structural restoration is visible. The stopper and spoon are preserved.
Dimensions:
Height: 7 cm
Width: 5 cm
Depth: 2.2 cm
Weight: 50.8 g
The bottle is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and a detailed Mimosa study, including material and technique analysis, stylistic and chronological study, provenance and institutional comparisons.
This is a very fine Qing snuff bottle, appreciated both for the purity of its form, the subtlety of its pink and white glass, and the complete presence of its stopper and spoon.
video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/0na5s30sx38ehhc3qm5pj/AGqaiJGxPnej05eOcoQhvqw?rlkey=0w3h6zcnusrjqafvc3peswfxt&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 TranslateDetails
Culture
China
Century/timeframe
Dynastie Qing – vers 1750–1820
Name of object
Chinese snuffbox in pink and white multilayer glass 'sandwiched glass'
Acquired from
Private collection
Year acquired
2000
Country acquired from
United States
Condition
Very good
Previous owner acquired from
Auction house
Height
7 cm
Previous owner - year acquired
2024
Width
5 cm
Previous owner - country acquired from
Europe
Depth
2.2 cm
I verify that I have obtained this object legally and that I am allowed to sell it
Yes
Authenticity
Original/official
Sold by
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.
