SIGNED MA SHAOXUAN, DATED TO MID-SPRING OF THE BINGSHEN YEAR, CORRESPONDING TO 1896

Details

AN INSIDE-PAINTED ROCK CRYSTAL SNUFF BOTTLE
SIGNED MA SHAOXUAN, DATED TO MID-SPRING OF THE BINGSHEN YEAR, CORRESPONDING TO 1896
The bottle is painted on one side with butterflies fluttering amidst flowers below an inscription reading huantian xidi (the happiness of heaven and the joy of earth). The reverse is painted with panels of calligraphy, rubbings, and paintings.
2 5⁄8 in. (6.7 cm.) high, coral and pearl stopper

Provenance

Robert Hall, London, 1992.
Rachelle R. Holden Collection, New York.

Literature

R. Holden, Rivers and Mountains Far From the World - The Rachelle R. Holden Collection, A Personal Commentary, New York, 1994, pp. 216-217, no. 92.

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.

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Margaret Gristina (葛曼琪) Senior Specialist, VP

asianartny@christies.com +1 212 636 2180

Lot Essay

The motif of butterflies and flowers is frequently called "The Happiness of Heaven and the Joy of the Earth" or "Butterflies at Play" and suggests a wish that the recipient of the bottle receive the highest standing in the imperial examinations. (R. Li, Chinese Snuff Bottle Themes: Popular Stories and Fables, Hong Kong, 1983, p. 14)

A bottle with a similar design from the Muse Collection is illustrated by C. Chu in Chinese Snuff Bottles from Southern Californian Collectors, Hong Kong, 2016, pg. 74.

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