Chinese Snuff Bottle Lacquer Burgauté Gilt Stopper Qing Period 19th Century
£280.00 Sold
Inventory Code: INV1887
Object: Snuff Bottle
Material: Lacquer - Mother of Pearl
Origin: China
Period: Qing Dynasty
Date: 19th Century
Decoration: Burgauté Gilt
Marked: Unmarked
Measurements:
Height 5.0 CM
Width 3.5 CM
Depth 1.2 CM
Condition:
GOOD (4/5) – Minor surface wear consistent with age and use. One small area of loss to inlay on the base. Please review the photos carefully for more details.
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📜 Description
A rare and finely inlaid lacque burgauté snuff bottle, of flattened ovoid form with high shoulders and short cylindrical neck. The surface is meticulously inlaid with iridescent mother-of-pearl, turquoise, and gold foil forming a central floral medallion encircled by hexagonal and diamond-patterned geometric rosettes. The lacquer ground is a deep black, providing vivid contrast to the shimmering inlay. Each side displays symmetrical, kaleidoscopic ornamentation of exceptional precision, including intricate borders and bands.
This technique, known in the West as lacque burgauté (from the French “burgau,” meaning mother-of-pearl), was particularly valued in the Qing dynasty for small luxury objects such as boxes, fans, and snuff bottles. This example ranks among the finest known of its type, both for its preservation and richness of detail.
Highlights:
Lacque burgauté: a prized Qing dynasty technique of inlaying lacquer with mother-of-pearl and gilt foil.
Brilliantly iridescent inlay of abalone shell, turquoise, and gold.
Complete with matching inlaid stopper featuring a turquoise cabochon motif.
Exceptional geometric precision in a fully intact composition.
Medium: Black lacquer on wood or composite core, with inlays of mother-of-pearl, turquoise, and gilded foil.
Stopper: Matching domed lacquer stopper with central inlaid turquoise floral medallion.
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