Another highly regarded collection of snuff bottles is coming up for sale, following hot on the heels of Bonhams’s auction of the Mary and George Bloch Collection. This time Sotheby’s Asia Week fall sales in New York will include bottles from the Joe Grimberg Collection. The bottles date from as early as the beginning of the 18th century and reflect a broad variety of Chinese decorative arts from glass and porcelain to jade. The treasure trove of miniatures is estimated to fetch up to $6.5 million. Among the highlights of the collection is an enamel on copper snuff bottle from the imperial palace workshop with the Qianlong mark (photo). The auctioneer cannot confirm if the bottle was actually owned by the Qianlong emperor, but it’s estimate is $250/350,000.
