Published:
Viviane Jutheau, Guide du collectionneur de tabatières chinoises, 1980, p. 74, third row, first from the left, and page 112, figure 3. Note that on page 74, the present lot is identified as jade and grouped with a snuff bottle made in imitation of jade, to show the superiority of the original.

Exhibited:
Tres Precieuses Tabatières Chinoises, Collection Rassemblée par Maître Viviane Jutheau, L'Arcade Chaumet, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, June-August 1982, cat. no.144, p. 18.

China. Remarkably well hollowed, the flattened ovoid body rests on a short oval foot and is topped by a broad cylindrical neck with a slightly concave lip. Each of the four sides features a raised panel, with the longer sides resembling integral snuff dishes. The semi-translucent stone is of a pale apple-green tone, accented by powerful emerald green splashes.

Provenance: The private collection of Maître Viviane Jutheau, Comtesse de Witt. Millon, Paris, 1 April 1987, lot 287. Collection Parisienne de M. B., acquired from the above. Viviane Jutheau was a French auctioneer and the first major snuff bottle specialist in France. She wrote a seminal guide on snuff bottles (wherein the present lot is published) which is still used as a reference today. She was highly influential in the Chinese art trade in Paris.
Condition: Very good condition with minor old wear, little nibbling to the rims, and light surface scratches. The stopper with small dents.

Stopper: Coral with incised gilt-metal collar (Please note that we cannot send the stopper outside of the European Union)

Weight: 74.2 g
Dimensions: Height incl. stopper 64 mm, Diameter neck 16 mm and mouth 5 mm.

This snuff bottle allows the viewer to take pleasure in the natural beauty and translucency of the stone by leaving the material mostly unadorned with a lustrous polish.

Expert’s note:
The emerald green splash on one side of the bottle strikingly resembles the purple splashes on a group of Junyao dishes, like one sold at Bonhams London on May 9, 2022 (lot 310). This ware was highly popular at the Qing Court, where both the Yongzheng and Qianlong Emperors, captivated by the Jun glaze, commissioned many imitations. Both the craftsman and the original owner of the present bottle would most likely have recognized this similarity.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 26 November 2019, lot 54
Price: HKD 75,625 or approx. EUR 9,700 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A fine jadeite snuff bottle, 18th/19th century
Expert remark: Compare the related color of the jadeite with irregular emerald-green splashes. Note the size (5.7 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 28 November 2019, lot 527
Price: HKD 81,250 or approx. EUR 11,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A green jadeite snuff bottle, Qing century [sic], 19^th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and decoration with similar panels. Note the even green color and the size (5.5 cm).