Qing Dynasty Qianlong Period Famille-Rose 'Lotus and Chrysanthemum' Snuff Bottle

This Imperial famille-rose snuff bottle dates from the Qianlong period of the Qing dynasty. The vessel is crafted from porcelain with a flattened, globular form featuring a stepped neck and flat base.

The neck is finished in a tea-dust brown glaze with gilded scrollwork. The shoulder is decorated with a band of sky-blue enameled ruyi motifs. The main body is meticulously decorated using the 'jin shang tian hua' (brocade on brocade) or 'sgraffito' technique, where a dense floral scroll pattern is incised and painted over a delicate rouge-pink ground. Four groups of lotus and chrysanthemum blossoms with sprawling tendrils are rendered in vibrant famille-rose enamels.

A band of stylized lotus petals encircles the foot. The base, revealing a fine white porcelain body, bears a four-character seal mark in iron-red reading 'Qianlong Nian Zhi' (Made in the Qianlong period). The bottle measures 4.2 cm in height, representing the sophisticated craftsmanship and elaborate aesthetic favored by the imperial workshops during the 18th century.