Dear Samson,
Congratulations on another nice addition to your collection. Very high quality, but no one could conclusively describe it as more than "possibly Imperial" or "probably Imperial". There are precious few glass snuff bottles that can be confidently described as “Imperial Workshop” and they are predominately either impeccably carved Imperial yellow glass or signed with a reign mark. The exceptions will generally have a related example in the Imperial collection.
I tend to agree with Giovanni and Joey that there was a demand for high quality goods outside the direct Imperial court. Personally I think that some of the high quality bottles that have earned the “possibly Imperial” label, are actually snuff bottles made for the emperor to give as gifts to reward his high-ranking loyal subjects.
I found an interesting footnote in Lot # 8023 of Bonham's New York sale on September 16, 2013:
http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20998/lot/8023/A red glass overlay snuff bottle 1750-1820
Of compressed ovoid form with a flat lip and a high oval foot rim surrounding a recessed foot, the transparent, bubble suffused glass with a single ruby red overlay, carved in high relief and boasting a continuous design of nine interacting chi dragons. 2 5/8in (6.7cm) high
FOOTNOTES
Provenance: T.Y. King, Hong Kong
Although chilong or chi dragons are a common motif on red glass overlay snuff bottles, the representation of nine in this example is auspicious and significant due to the importance of the number nine in Chinese culture. According to Daoist numerology the number nine has the greatest Yang (masculine) and is related to Heaven, as was the emperor, i.e. The Son of Heaven. As a result imperial objects would frequently bear the nine-dragon motif. Despite the imperial allusions that adorn the bottle, they do not unequivocally signify it as solely an emperor's possession; the profusion of court robes worn by higher ranked nobles and princes that also bear nine dragons indicate this symbolism was widespread among the upper echelons of the imperial hierarchy.
Best regards,
Tom B.
