A molded and carved yellow-glazed porcelain snuff bottle, 1820-1860. School of Wang Bingron, Jingdezhen. photo courtesy Sotheby's .

of slender, flattened pear form, decorated in relief on both faces with a coiling five-clawed dragon chasing a 'flaming pearl' amongst cloud scrolls, the underside of the base with a raised molded four character mark Ziqin Zhenwan; height 2 3/8 in., 6 cm. Estimate 8,000—12,000 USD. Lot Sold 10,625 USD

PROVENANCE: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 29th April 1992, lot 399.

LITERATURE AND REFERENCES: Sotheby's Hong Kong Twenty Years, Hong Kong, 1993, p. 279, no. 458.

NOTE: The mark may be translated as 'Precious Collection of Ziqin'. Since this is not a known potter's mark, it is likely that this is a collector's mark added during manufacture when the bottle was commissioned by its future owner.

Sotheby's. The Joe Grimberg Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles, 14 Sep 10, New York www.sothebys.com