AN INSCRIBED IMPERIAL CLOISONNE ENAMEL SNUFF BOTTLE WITH MATCHING STOPPER, QIANLONG MARK AND PERIODChina, 1736-1795. Finely decorated in bright enamels and gilt with two lobed turquoise-ground panels, one enclosing lotus flowers and bamboo, the other inscribed in gilt with a poem by the Qianlong Emperor about the magnolia paintings of the Ming dynasty master Shen Zhou, dedicated by the infamous Yu Minzhong, the recessed gilt-copper base delicately incised with a four-character mark Qianlong nianzhi and of the period.Inscriptions: To one panel, at the top, yuzhi ('Imperial'), bottom left, chen Yu Minzhong jing shu ('respectfully written by your servant, Yu Minzhong'). Two seals.Provenance: Leslie Gifford Kilborn, USA, and thence by descent in the same family. Leslie Gifford Kilborn (1895-1972), son of Retta and Omar Kilborn, was born in Sichuan, China. He greatly advanced missionary work in Western China, was the author of multiple texts and served as dean of the College of Medicine of the West China Union University. In 1952, he left China and became a professor of physiology at the University of Hong Kong.Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear, microscopic nibbling, and manufacturing flaws, such as pitting and open bubbles.Stopper: Cloisonne enamel with gilt-copper collar and spoon, all matching.Weight: 90.5 gDimensions: Height including stopper 72 mm. Diameter neck 17 mm and mouth 4 mmThe pear-shaped body, yuhuchun, rising from a short circular gilt-copper foot to a short waisted neck with a gilt-copper top. The panels are surrounded by lotus flowers growing from leafy vines, with a lappet border above the foot and a band of ruyi heads below the rim. The matching stopper with a central flower encircled by scrolling vines above a geometric border.The inscription is dedicated by Yu Minzhong (1714-1780), an official from Jintan in Jiangsu province, who served as Chief Grand Councilor from 1773-1780 and was one of the most powerful ministers in the government. He received his jinshi degree with the highest honors, then became a first-class compiler of the Hanlin Academy, and eventually served in many official posts, first in the provinces and from 1750 onwards mainly in Beijing. There he was in the direct company of the Qianlong Emperor in the capital as well as on tours and advised him on many important policy matters. One of his tasks consisted of editing the Emperor's poems, which, having often been composed during brief intervals between audiences, he afterwards had to write down from memory and reputedly seldom made a mistake.Literature comparison: A cloisonne wall vase with the same poem and dedication by Yu Minzhong is in the collection of the National Palace Museum Beijing. For a cloisonne panel with a poem written by Yu Minzhong, with the inscription again dedicated by the minister, see Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2 May 2005, lot 534.Auction result comparison: Compare with a related cloisonne miniature zhadou, with a closely related Qianlong four-character reign mark incised to a gilt base and of the period, at Christie's Hong Kong in The Imperial Sale Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on 31 May 2010, lot 2080, sold for HKD 162,500, and a related cloisonne bottle vase (12.3 cm high), with a Qianlong mark and of the period, at Christie's Hong Kong in Reverence and Perfection – Magnificent Imperial Cloisonne Enamels from a Private European Collection on 29 May 2013, lot 2057, sold for HKD 300,000. Compare also with a cloisonne snuff bottle with a Qianlong mark and of the period but of a different form at Sotheby's Hong Kong in Snuff Bottles from the Mary & George Bloch Collection: Part VII on 26 November 2013, lot 108, sold for HKD 250,000.乾隆款與年代銅胎掐絲琺琅鼻烟壺中國,1736-1795年。裝飾精美的琺瑯,兩面開光,其中一幅可見蓮花和竹子,另一幅上有乾隆的詩作,描寫明朝大師沈周的玉蘭花。内凹的鍍金銅底座,精巧地刻有四個字的“乾隆年制”。 款識:御制,磊落偏饒韻,芳華不藉春,臣于敏中敬書。兩枚鈴印。 來源:美國Leslie Gifford Kilborn,自此保存在同一家族. Leslie Gifford Kilborn (1895-1972), Retta and Omar Kilborn的兒子,出生於中國四川。他極大地促進了中國西部的傳教工作,是多篇著作的作者,還曾擔任過華西聯合大學醫學院的院長。 1952年,他離開中國,成為香港大學生理學教授。 圖片:Leslie Gifford Kilborn (1895-1972, 左起第三位) 品相:狀況極佳,有輕微磨損,輕微磨損和製造缺陷,例如點蝕和氣泡。 壺蓋:景泰藍,鎏金蓋托,小壺匙,皆匹配 重量:90.5 克 尺寸:含蓋總高72 毫米,頸部直徑17 毫米,嘴部直徑4 毫米 拍賣結果比較:一件相近微型渣斗,乾隆四字款,見香港佳士得 The Imperial Sale Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art 拍場,2010年5月31日 lot 2080, 售價HKD 162,500;一件相近景泰藍瓶 (高12.3厘米),乾隆款與年代,見香港佳士得 Reverence and Perfection – Magnificent Imperial Cloisonne Enamels from a Private European Collection 拍場,2013年5月29日 lot 2057, 售價HKD 300,000 ;一件景泰藍鼻烟壺,乾隆款與年代,見香港蘇富比 Snuff Bottles from the Mary & George Bloch Collection: Part VII 拍場,2013年11月 26日 lot 108, 售價HKD 250,000.