Message #24633

[richy88]

Hi Giovanni

It is believed that such glass overlay bottles are made in Yangzhou city and hence it's name.

The characteristic of the Yangzhou glass overlay bottle is usually a thin layer of overlay carved in low relief on an milky or opaque white background. Although clear transparent background examples are also available but less common.

The subject matter is usually scholar in nature and often also carved with seal(s). It is therefore also sometime know as the seal school of glass overlay. Also, most bottles are carved with mock ring handles on the sides.

Here is an example in my collection that has all the above characteristics.

A Yangzhou overlay bottle of rectangular form with rounded shoulders carved using a single sepia brown overlay in low relief. One side carved with a lady immortal standing over a cloud holding a hoe and basket of flowers over her shoulder with an inscription Jiashen Eryue which corresponds to the second month of the Jiashen year (1824). The other side carved with a boy holding a branch of peaches amidst various objects with a bat flying above. The sides carved with elongated mock ring handles of the same colour.

Provenance: The Reif Collection

This bottle is unusual in that it is carved with the date.

For your reference.

Regards.


Richard