Dear Joey, I will try to do better with terminology.
I do think cloisonne is worth collecting though, and from the examples I see at the major auction houses it would appear that not all the older bottles are dark and simple.
That has always baffled me because the other cloisonne objects (vases, figures, cups, etc) of the period are extremely well done. I have a friend in Nashville who collects cloisonne and so I have held and examined some beautiful genuine pieces from the Qing period.
Why then would the cloisonne on snuff bottles be different and not executed with the same level of skill and with the same bright colors being used in other objects?
Could you point me in the right direction to research this further or explain why this is?
I have put together some references from the major auction houses:
A CLOISONNÉ ENAMELLED 'MILLEFLEURS' SNUFF BOTTLE
Probably Imperial, attributable to the palace workshops, Beijing, 1760-1799
Sold for HK$ 162,500 (US$ 20,948) inc. premium
http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/19621/lot/28/---------------------
A CLOISONNÉ-ENAMELLED AND GILT-BRONZE 'BIRDS AND FLOWERS' SNUFF BOTTLE
Qianlong incised four-character mark and of the period
Sold for HK$ 187,500 (US$ 24,170) inc. premium
http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/19621/lot/407/---------------------
A CLOISONNÉ-ENAMELLED AND GILT-BRONZE 'CRANE AND DEER' SNUFF BOTTLE
Qianlong incised four-character mark and of the period
Sold for HK$ 200,000 (US$ 25,782) inc. premium
http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/19621/lot/405/----------------------
A FINE AND RARE CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL SNUFF BOTTLE
Qianlong incised mark and of the period
Sold for HK$ 216,000 (US$ 27,844) inc. premium
http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/18592/lot/272/-----------------------
A 'FAMILLE-ROSE' CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL ON COPPER 'INDIAN LOTUS' SNUFF BOTTLE
Imperial, palace workshops, Beijing, 17501799
Sold for HK$ 225,000 (US$ 29,004) inc. premium
http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20309/lot/55/------------------------
A RARE CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL SNUFF BOTTLE
Guangzhou, Qianlong incised four-character mark and of the period, 1760-1799
HK$ 200,000 - 280,000
US$ 26,000 - 36,000
http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/19305/lot/360/------------------------
Lot 8176
A CLOISONNÉ SNUFF BOTTLE
Qianlong mark
Sold for US$ 37,500 inc. premium
http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20983/lot/8176/--------------------------
Lot 228
A cloisonné enamel snuff bottle and a white metal snuff bottle Each with a Qianlong four-character mark
Sold for £27,500 (US$ 33,801) inc. premium
http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20579/lot/228/-------------------------
A CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL 'KUILONG AND SHOU CHARACTER' SNUFF BOTTLE
QING DYNASTY, 18TH / 19TH CENTURY
Estimate 60,000 — 80,000 HKD
LOT SOLD. 106,250 HKD (Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium)
http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2015/snuff-bottles-from-mary-george-bloch-collection-part-x-hk0576/lot.8.html---------------------------
A CLOISONNE ENAMEL ‘SHOU’ SNUFF BOTTLE
MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG
Estimate 200,000 — 250,000 HKD
LOT SOLD. 250,000 HKD (Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium)
http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2013/bloch-vii-hk0495/lot.108.html----------------------------
A CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL SNUFF BOTTLE
IMPERIAL, PALACE WORKSHOPS, BEIJING, 1760-1820
Price realised
USD 8,750
http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/a-cloisonne-enamel-snuff-bottle-imperial-palace-5977549-details.aspx?from=searchresults&intObjectID=5977549&sid=3345aee2-a057-46f9-b06f-b4148eaf7886-------------------------