A RARE COCONUT SNUFF BOTTLE

of rounded square form with convex faces, below a waisted neck and a flared foot, one face carved in relief with three columns of calligraphy in archaic bronze script, set on a textured ground, adjacent to a two-column inscription lightly incised followed by a seal, Yuanyin, the reverse occupied by a poetic inscription filled with red pigment

Hugh Moss (HK) Ltd.

In good condition with nice patina.
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.

The inscriptions on one face, one in the ancient seal script and the line adjacent in regular script, can be translated as:

'The servants of history made the ceremonial vessels in order to have them treasured for eternity.
Quiet demeanor to emulate the antiquity', followed by a seal, Yuanyin (Seal of Yuan).

The poetic inscription on the reverse is Yu Hu 'Tune of Jiangnan' and describes a woman's longing for her loved one. It can be translated as:

'As a keepsake for my brotherly friend Yaolun, the sixth son of the family
Picking white duckweed at the riverbank, and
With my women companions, I attend the ceremony at the River God temple.
Among this many people on-site, I simply dared not to speak up and ask,
So could only pay for a divination inquiring about the certain someone who is traveling afar,' followed by an undecipherable name and seal.