China Glass Chinese snuff box in sapphire blue glass overlay, decorated with fish and lotus. - 8.9 cm
12
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05
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27
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28
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Current bid
€ 2
Reserve price not met
Expert
Selected by Peter Reynaers
Has nearly 30 years’ experience and moderated multiple online art research groups.
Estimate € 1,000 - € 1,500
 | €2 | |
|---|---|---|
| €1 |
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Original Qing-dynasty glass overlay tabatière in sapphire blue with a fish and lotus motif, dating circa 1780–1850, 8.9 × 3.7 × 1.8 cm and 51 g, with a red stopper and blue ring, provenance from the United Kingdom, acquired in 2022, in very good condition, accompanied by a MIMOSA SA authenticity and expert certificate.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Beautiful Qing dynasty Chinese snuff bottle in transparent glass with a sculpted sapphire-blue overlay, dating from the late 18th to the first half of the 19th century, circa 1780–1850.
Of tall, elegantly flattened form with sloped shoulders, a cylindrical neck, and an annular oval foot, the bottle is decorated on its two broad faces with a particularly animated aquatic scene. Fishes swim among flowers, seed-pods, leaves and long lotus stalks, all set against a background of translucent sapphire-blue glass applied to an otherwise colorless glass body.
The decoration is achieved by the traditional Chinese overlay or multi-layer glass technique: the blue layer has been carefully cut and ground to reveal the relief motifs on the clear base, then finished with fine incisions emphasizing the scales, fins and vegetation details. The underside photograph notably illustrates the bottle’s construction, with the blue foot surrounding the transparent body.
The theme of fish and lotus belongs to the auspicious vocabulary of Chinese art. The fish, yu 魚, traditionally serves as a rebus for abundance, yu 餘; paired with the lotus, it evokes wishes for prosperity and recurrent abundance year after year. The fish display strongly defined eyes and can be closely associated, with caution, with the ornamental varieties known as “celestial eye.”
The form, the quality of the relief, the sapphire blue, the glasswork and the decorative vocabulary have parallels in several overlay glass snuff bottles from the Qing period preserved notably in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the British Museum. These comparisons support a dating to circa 1780–1850, without being able to attribute the piece to a specific workshop.
Provenance: British art market; acquired at a European public sale in 2022, subsequently housed in the current collection.
Overall good condition for its age: several fine scratches and surface wear, small nicks at the rim and base, as well as a small old chip at the neck. No major structural damage or significant restoration is visible. Red stopper with a dark blue collar and a cork stopper; the exact nature of the red material has not been determined.
Dimensions: 8.9 × 3.7 × 1.8 cm. Weight: 51 g.
The piece will be accompanied by its certificate of authenticity and expertise from MIMOSA SA, including stylistic and technical study, provenance, condition, bibliography and institutional comparisons.
video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/l56t8c11gsfd6wegtjlws/AN6VMQknMiaYol5miZO_zQ4?rlkey=l0o1r8tvsgswm4vl5j8rfo9g2&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 TranslateBeautiful Qing dynasty Chinese snuff bottle in transparent glass with a sculpted sapphire-blue overlay, dating from the late 18th to the first half of the 19th century, circa 1780–1850.
Of tall, elegantly flattened form with sloped shoulders, a cylindrical neck, and an annular oval foot, the bottle is decorated on its two broad faces with a particularly animated aquatic scene. Fishes swim among flowers, seed-pods, leaves and long lotus stalks, all set against a background of translucent sapphire-blue glass applied to an otherwise colorless glass body.
The decoration is achieved by the traditional Chinese overlay or multi-layer glass technique: the blue layer has been carefully cut and ground to reveal the relief motifs on the clear base, then finished with fine incisions emphasizing the scales, fins and vegetation details. The underside photograph notably illustrates the bottle’s construction, with the blue foot surrounding the transparent body.
The theme of fish and lotus belongs to the auspicious vocabulary of Chinese art. The fish, yu 魚, traditionally serves as a rebus for abundance, yu 餘; paired with the lotus, it evokes wishes for prosperity and recurrent abundance year after year. The fish display strongly defined eyes and can be closely associated, with caution, with the ornamental varieties known as “celestial eye.”
The form, the quality of the relief, the sapphire blue, the glasswork and the decorative vocabulary have parallels in several overlay glass snuff bottles from the Qing period preserved notably in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the British Museum. These comparisons support a dating to circa 1780–1850, without being able to attribute the piece to a specific workshop.
Provenance: British art market; acquired at a European public sale in 2022, subsequently housed in the current collection.
Overall good condition for its age: several fine scratches and surface wear, small nicks at the rim and base, as well as a small old chip at the neck. No major structural damage or significant restoration is visible. Red stopper with a dark blue collar and a cork stopper; the exact nature of the red material has not been determined.
Dimensions: 8.9 × 3.7 × 1.8 cm. Weight: 51 g.
The piece will be accompanied by its certificate of authenticity and expertise from MIMOSA SA, including stylistic and technical study, provenance, condition, bibliography and institutional comparisons.
video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/l56t8c11gsfd6wegtjlws/AN6VMQknMiaYol5miZO_zQ4?rlkey=l0o1r8tvsgswm4vl5j8rfo9g2&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
Fin du XVIIIe - première moitié du XIXe siècle, vers 1780-1850
Name of object
Chinese snuff box in sapphire blue glass overlay, decorated with fish and lotus.
Acquired from
Private collection
Year acquired
2000
Material
Glass
Country acquired from
United Kingdom
Condition
Very good
Previous owner acquired from
Auction house
Height
8.9 cm
Previous owner - year acquired
2022
Width
3.7 cm
Previous owner - country acquired from
Europe
Depth
1.8 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.
