G39 A speckled glass snuff bottle imitating Realgar

SKU: G39 Category:

Description

Description:  Chinese snuff bottle of mixed yellow, red, ochre glasses, imitating Realgar, a mineral often associated with Orpiment, hence often seen in mixed bright red and yellow colors. These are Arsenic based crystals, hence poisonous. Besides that, the mineral is subject to change color and decompose under light. For these reasons, bottles of the real mineral do not exist.

Foot/base:  Flat base

Mark: 

Dating:  In the literature, all these bottles are for some reason dated as being 18th Century, Probably Palace Workshops, Beijing. For some reason it seems that they have not been made after that.

Material:  Glass.

Size:  67 mm high

Stopper:  Glass imitating pearl, metal collar and bone spoon

Provenance:  Antiquarian market

References:  On internet many of these bottles can be found, either in Museums or sold by the Auction houses.

Notes:  The last picture is showing a specimen of the mineral.