Lot 2156. A fine and extremely rare opaque violet-blue Beijing glass bowl, Qianlong incised four-character mark and of the period (1736-1795); 6 in. (15.3 cm.) diam. Estimate HKD 1,500,000 - HKD 2,000,000. Price realised HKD 2,300,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2012

The bowl is of ovid form, with rounded sides rising from a slightly indented base carved with the reign mark. The sides are well carved in low relief with two opposing shaped cartouches of Islamic script on an extremely finely stippled ground contrasting with the smooth polished surface of the glass, box.

Provenance: Baroness Figlia d'Essen, Italy
Baroness Jacobea Sapuppo, Italy

Note: The collection of Baroness Figlia d'Essen, mostly consisting of fine Chinese snuff bottles, was formed in the late 19th century and early years of the 20th century and then passed down to her daughter, Baroness Jacobea Sapuppo. The latter was the wife to the former Italian Ambassador to Bulgaria and Peru. A number of pieces of Chinese glass from the collection were sold at Christie's Milan, 11 May 2000 while the collection of snuff bottles was sold at Sotheby's London, 14 November 2000.

The inscription can be translated as, 'The Prophet, may salutation be upon him, said: There is no God but the God'. Although Islamic inscriptions appear on porcelain from the Ming dynasty onwards, vessels with Islamic inscriptions in the medium of glass appear to be extremely rare. 

A clear blue glass pear-shaped vase from the Brooklyn Museum, New York bearing similar cartouches containing Islamic inscriptions is illustrated by Claudia Brown and Donald Rabiner in the Clear as Crystal, Red as Flameexhibition catalogue, New York, 1990, pl. 27; compare also a blue glass vase with an Islamic inscription illustrated by Yoshio Tsuchia, Ch'ing Dynasty Glass, Japan, 1989, black and white pl. 37. 

Vase with Arabic Inscriptions, 1736-1795. Glass, 10 1/4 x 5 3/8 in. (26 x 13.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Anonymous gift, 47.219.22. Photo: Brooklyn Museum