Antique 16k Gold Chinese Qianlong Cloisonne Enamel Snuff Bottle Mark & Period

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Description

A fine & rare antique Imperial Chinese Qing dynasty solid gold & cloisonne enamel snuff bottle, Qianlong mark & period, … Read more A fine & rare antique Imperial Chinese Qing dynasty solid gold & cloisonne enamel snuff bottle, Qianlong mark & period, 1736-1795, tests as 16k gold.
It is rare to find a cloisonné enamel snuff bottle with a Qianlong reign mark, and only a small number seem to be recorded, particularly ones made from solid gold. The bottles appear to have been produced in workshops in Guangzhou, but is is unclear whether they were commissioned by the Imperial Court, or were tribute or luxury items.
The bottle with a domed cover (with original bone spoon present) over a rounded baluster shaped body, the bottle is very well enameled with each side depicting a bird resting on a flowering branch on a light blue ground. The sides are also finely enameled with a floral design on a black enameled ground, the base is engraved with a four character Qianlong mark.
Condition is excellent, no damage or restoration noted, the snuff bottle has been chemically tested with an Olympus GoldXpert XRF analyzer and the bottle tests as 16k gold, weight is 81 grams.
Provenance; from a private collection San Francisco, California, acquired in London in the late 1930s.
Please see a similar example decorated with cranes; Smithsonian Collection accession number 2004.558a, b

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