A duan stone snuff bottle. Likely Imperial, 1760-1820. Photo Bonhams.

Of flattened pear shape, with a flat lip and an oval foot rim surrounding a concave foot, finely carved in low relief with three stylized kui dragons forming the character for long (dragon) on one side, reversed by naturalistic dragons, the sides with fixed ring lion mask handles, the lions with the distinctive 'official's hat'. 2 1/8in (5.3cm) high. Estimate US$ 6,000 - 8,000 (€4,300 - 5,800)

Property from the Collection of Emmanuel Dimitri Gran (1894-1969)

It is likely that this bottle belongs to a small group of bottles produced in a Guangzhou studio for the court during the late Qianlong/Jiaqing periods. For similar bottles that also bear the distinctive "Chinese hat" motif see Moss, Graham, Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles. The Mary and George Bloch Collection Hong Kong, 1998, vol 3, no. 393, Moss, Graham and Tsang, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle, The J & J Collection, New York, 1993, no. 347, and Holden, Rivers and Mountains Far From The World, Hong Kong, 1994, no 4.

Bonhams.CHINESE ART FROM THE SCHOLAR'S STUDIO. 17 Mar 2014, New York - www.bonhams.com