AN UNUSUAL YELLOW GLASS TWIN ELEPHANT-FORM SNUFF BOTTLE


Likely Imperial Glassworks, Beijing, 1760-1830Carved in the form of two stylized caparisoned elephants with heads turned back, a vase set on their shared back emerging from a border of formalized lingzhi-heads at the shoulder, with two bats and a tasseled textile, the tassels and elephant's feet forming the foot rim, the details all finely carved. 2in (5cm) high
|1760-1830年 北京宮廷玻璃造辦處 明黃料太平景象紋鼻煙壺Provenance: William A Parker Jr.Acquired in December 1993Collection of Joseph SilverWhereas several elephant-form, yellow glass snuff bottles attributed to the imperial glassworks in Beijing have come to market in recent years - including notable examples from the Mary and George Bloch Collection sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 27 May 2012, lot 141 and from the J & J Collection, sold at Christie's, Hong Kong, 25 April 2004, lot 805 - this two-headed example is very rare. A second bottle from the Bloch Collection featuring a two-headed elephant carved from aragonite was sold at Sotheby's, Hong Kong, 1 June 2015, lot 78.