PROBABLY IMPERIAL, ATTRIBUTED TO THE GUANGZHOU WORKSHOPS, 1736-1760

Details

**A FINE AND RARE PAINTED ENAMEL SNUFF BOTTLE
PROBABLY IMPERIAL, ATTRIBUTED TO THE GUANGZHOU WORKSHOPS, 1736-1760
Of elongated, flattened ovoid form, painted with a continuous garden scene with one side depicting Mandarin ducks in a stream beneath blooming peonies and stalks of grain, with asters in the foreground, the other side with a pair of pheasants perched on a rocky ledge surrounded by magnolia, asters and roses, with another bird perched on the branches of magnolia above, the foot painted with two peaches, the original enamel-on-copper stopper with an integral metal finial and collar and painted with formalized floral design
3 in. (7.6 cm.) high

Provenance

Christie's, London, 4 July 1977, lot 50
Hugh M. Moss Ltd.
Paula J. Hallett
Sotheby's, New York, 27 June 1986, lot 32
Hugh M. Moss Ltd.

Literature

100 Selected Chinese Snuff Bottles from the J & J Collection, no. 52
J & J poster
JICSBS, Autumn 1989, front cover
Sotheby's International Price Guide 1987-1988, p. 692, no. 4
Moss, Graham, Tsang, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle. The J & J Collection, Vol. I, no. 182
The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle, Poly Art Museum, p. 67

Exhibited

Christie's, London, October 1987
Christie's, New York, 1993
Empress Place Museum, Singapore, 1994
Museum für Kunsthandwerk, Frankfurt, 1996-1997
Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, 1997
Naples Museum of Art, Florida, 2002
Portland Museum of Art, Oregon, 2002
National Museum of History, Taipei, 2002
International Asian Art Fair, Seventh Regiment Armory, New York, 2003
Poly Art Museum, Beijing, 2003

Special notice

Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.

Lot Essay

The distinctive elongated, flattened form of this lovely bottle is typical of Guangzhou production, being first employed during the Yongzheng period and continuing into the Qianlong period. Although unmarked, the pair of peaches, symbolic of long life, decorating the base suggest that this bottle may have been intended as a birthday gift, perhaps for the Qianlong Emperor himself. The choice of subject matter strengthens the Imperial connection. The pair of pheasants and white magnolia tree appear on Beijing Palace workshop bottles such as the Qianlong-marked example in the J & J Collection illustrated in Moss, Graham, Tsang, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle. The J & J Collection, no. 177, and later sold in these rooms, 29 March 2006, lot 6. The combination of peonies and white magnolias (yutang fugui) conveys a wish for "wealth and rank in the jade hall." In this case, "jade hall" is likely a general name for the studio of a member of the influential minority. The pheasant (zhi) is a pun for "order," and Mandarin ducks are traditional motifs for a harmonious marriage as they mate for life. The peony, "the king of flowers," represents prosperity, and is associated with the upper classes of society.
The stopper on this bottle is original and is based on the shape of the Emperor's, or an official's Court hat, with the finial resembling the rank-identifying knob.

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