Qianlong-Marked White Glass Enamel Snuff Bottle

The bottle has a flattened oval body. The opaque white glass body is painted with enamel colours. Around the neck is a band of pink entwined scrolls and leaves; on the shoulders hang four groups of colourful stylized acanthus scrolls. The main body depicts a lotus pond with mandarin ducks. Near the foot runs a band of yellow ruyi-shaped cloud patterns. The base bears a ‘Made in the Qianlong period’ mark.

Painted enamelware was introduced to China from Europe during the Kangxi period. By the Qianlong period, traditional decorative themes were joined by distinctive Western subjects. The acanthus scrolls here, combined with fine brushwork bird-and-flower patterns, create an elegant harmony, typical of imperial workshop production.