Flute Player

QING PERIOD (1644 to 1911)

Chinese Enamel Falangcai 珐琅彩 Copper Snuff Bottle

A superb snuff bottle of slightly bulbous sides rounded form.
A young man seated on a grassy knoll. Dressed in a short rose coloured coat, white shirt, yellow pantaloons and white stockings and black shoes. A blue black brimmed hat on his curling light hair. His legs crossed as he pays a tune on his flute.
Two young maidens one dressed in a short red jacket a white border wearing white pantaloons. The other a red dress over lemon pantaloons holding a shepherds staff as they listen to his playing in a bucolic landscape.
The reverse an explosion of various floral blossoms in a myriad of colours.
The scenes set within circular double brown lined panels.
The sides with scrolling, a stylised red chrysanthemum set against a lemon yellow ground.

The collar decorated with white and dark green forms on a lime ground, above a necklace of rose pink lappets
The foot with blue edeged halves of green
The base with a blue four character Qianlong Period mark against white .

This bottle compares well with those produced in the Imperial Workshops of the Imperial Palace, 造 辦 處 Zaobanchu

Formerly the property of a Japanese collector.

The images are far larger than the actual bottle.
By viewing at this magnification, it is only then, one can truly appreciate the miniature details of this outstanding artwork.

Condition: Very good condition. No losses.

Refer Large Images for details, quality and condition, they also form the description.
Depending on your computer monitor / phone / etc colour may vary to actual.
Dimensions are maximum measurements
Height about : 5.5 cm
Width about: 4.6 cm

A$2500

Enamel snuff bottles painted with European scenes were a favourite of the Chinese Court and Chinese collectors in the Qing Period 1644 to 1911.
Snuff bottles were in great demand by western collectors starting in the 19th century and still are.
Snuff bottles with European style artworks were normally based on prints and books transported to China by travellers.
The demand for Chinese art and antiques exploded when the first appropriated artworks taken from the Summer Palace made their way back to England France etc.
Considered by all the major experts such as Bob C. Stevens (the Collectors Book of Snuff Bottles 1976) and the major famous collections, such as Guo'an. Bloch. Meriem. J & J. to name a few. The finest of all snuff bottles are those that are enamelled on copper, brass, glass, gold.
The art of enamelling was introduced to the Chinese Court in the Kangxi era 1654 to 1722, by the Jesuit Guiseppe Castiglione (Lan Shining).