A rare six-colour overlay glass snuff bottleImperial, Palace Workshops, Beijing, 18th/19th century
Exquisitely carved through overlays of translucent sapphire blue, green, pink, ruby-red, yellow and turquoise with a continuous design of undulating leafy branches of blossoming chrysanthemum issuing from pierced rockwork, all on a dense 'snowstorm' ground, stopper. 7.5cm (3in) high (2).注脚十八/十九世紀 北京宮廷造辦處 白料套彩料菊花鼻煙壺

Provenance:
Christie's Hong Kong, 1 November 1994, lot 1400A
The Angela Chua Collection

來源：
香港佳士得，1994年11月1日，拍品編號1400A
蔡劉木蘭收藏

This snuff bottle appears to belong to a group of multi-colour single overlays bottles datable to the second half of the Qianlong period; see H.Moss, V.Graham and K.B.Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection, vol.5, Hong Kong, 2002, nos.989-992.

The present lot is superbly and precisely carved through multiple bright overlays on an outstanding ground plane exhibiting fine control, combined with a well-composed and vivid design, culminating in one of the finest achievements of imperial mid-Qing dynasty glass carving.

Chrysanthemum is an autumn flower and at the same time a symbol of longevity for its ability to withstand frost and cold weather as well as it health-giving properties.

Compare the present bottle with a six-colour overlay 'lotus pond' snuff bottle from the Mary and George Bloch Collection, ibid., no.990, which was later sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 27 May 2013, lot 249.

玻璃質，白料為地，外套彩料構成各色菊花，綠料為莖葉，藍料為山石，各色材料為花朵，色彩繽紛。

此類套料鼻煙壺可能製作於乾隆後半段，相關討論參見莫仕撝、V.Graham及曾嘉寶著，《瑪麗與莊智博鼻煙壺珍藏》，卷5，香港，2002年，編號989-992。套料工藝繁複難控，而本件鼻煙壺套色精準，發色艷麗，琢制精當，非宮廷御製不可為。

菊花品性高潔，寓意長壽，為宮廷裝飾所好。可比較一件瑪麗和莊智博舊藏之六色套料蓮塘鼻煙壺，見前書，編號990，後售於香港蘇富比，2013年5月27日，拍品編號249。