Ancient perfume bottle: porcelain and email opium vial, Samson manufacture

A porcelain opium bottle with polychrome enamels , decorated in a Chinese style with birds on branches in oblong cartouches against a background of foliate scrolls. It has a chased and gilt bronze mount with openwork decoration. The lid of this antique perfume bottle is surmounted by a flower forming the handle. There is a mark in red on the base. Probably Samson.

Documentation: The Samson factory reproduced numerous ornamental pieces from the reigns of Kangxi (1662-1722), Yongzheng (1723-1735), and Qianlong (1735-1795). This late 19th-century European taste for highly decorated pieces is evident in the rich floral designs of decorative pieces bearing the Samson signature. Around 1900, collectors followed the recommendations of discerning figures like Grandidier, who, in his book "La Céramique chinoise" published in 1894, championed the artistic superiority of polychrome porcelain. They sought decorative pieces in the "famille verte" or "famille rose" styles, ideally mounted in bronze. The glazes on these Samson pieces are often very successful, even if they are bolder and more intricate than Chinese glazes.

Bibliography: Florence Slitine, Samson, genius of imitation, Paris, Éditions Charles Massin, 2002, pp. 161-168.

Condition report: the bottle is in very good condition, with some wear on the bronze.