with steep rounded sides rising to a flaring rim, the exterior delicately engraved with a leafy boughs of flowering camellia issuing blossoms and tender buds, with a pair of fluttering butterflies and an insect above, the base incised with a four-character mark within a double square

Acquired in Macau prior to the 1980s.

The bowl with scratches and wear to the surface and small nicks along the edge of the foot rim.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Examples similarly engraved floral bowls from the Qianlong period are known including: a translucent blue glass bowl from the Plesch Collection sold at Christie's London, 16th November 1998, lot 290; a blue glass bowl with blossoming narcissus sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27th April 1997, lot 14; and a third sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 14th November 1990, lot 439. For related amber glass examples with similar engraved designs, see a cup from the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Luster of Autumn Water, Glass of the Imperial Workshop, Beijing, 2005, pl. 113, and another cup, from the collection of Walter and Phyllis Shorenstein, illustrated in A Chorus of Colors, Chinese Glass From Three American Collections, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, San Francisco, 1995, cat. no. 32, and later sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 1st December 2006, lot 2916.  See also a transparent pale yellow glass cup of similar shape engraved in diamond point with lilies and a butterfly, with a Yongzheng mark, in the Andrew K.F. Lee Collection, and illustrated in Elegance and Radiance, The Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2000, cat. no. 97.