A rare six-colour overlay glass snuff bottle. Attributed to Beijing, mid Qing dynasty

Of flattened pear-shaped form rising from a flat oval foot, carved through the red, green, orange, pink, purple and blue overlay to the milky white opaque glass, depicting eight writhing chi dragons, stopper. 6.9cm (2¼in) high. (2). Sold for HK$45,600

Provenance: Neal W. and Frances R. Hunter collection
Sotheby's New York, 15 September 1998, lot 50

Note: Compare a similar six-colour 'chi dragon' overlay glass snuff bottle from the J&J collection, illustrated by H.Moss, V.Graham, Ka Bo Tsang, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle. The J&J Collection, Vol.II, Tokyo and New York, 1993, Catalogue no.374.

Bonhams. Fine Chinese Ceramics, Works of Art and Paintings, 21 May 2009. Island Shangri-La Hong Kong Hotel, Admiralty, Hong Kong www.bonhams.com