Transparent Glass Snuff Bottle Overlaid with White and Green

This snuff bottle consists of transparent glass overlaid with successive layers of white and green glass. The body is carved with four-petal flowers and other geometric patterns.

Owing to differences in formula and technique, Chinese glass was long considered inferior to its European counterparts. However, during the reigns of Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong, glassmaking in China enjoyed a brief period of brilliance. Overlaid glass was a new variety created during this time. Records suggest it first appeared in the Kangxi period, with surviving examples dating from the Qianlong reign. It combines European glassmaking techniques with Chinese jade carving methods, uniting the beauty of glass coloration with the elegance of relief carving.