A MOLDED AND ENAMELLED PORCELAIN FIGURAL SNUFF BOTTLE

molded and decorated in famille-rose enamels as Liu Hai stepping forward with one leg raised and wearing an iron-red gilt-decorated robe over turquoise enamelled trousers, strings of cash in his hands, and with his three-legged toad perched on his shoulder

Nelly Davies.

There is a small area of restoration to the front of his robe to the right of his right knee. It does not appear to extend into the feet or the belly of the figure. Otherwise in good condition.
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.

Lui Hai appears to have been a popular subject for figural snuff bottles of the late 18th and early 19th century and several different molded versions are published. These include a different model with one foot raised in The Crane Collection, www.thecranecollection.com, no. 235; a model with both feet in the ground illustrated by Clare Lawrence, Miniature Masterpieces from the Middle Kingdom: The Monimar Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles, London, 1996, pp. 186-7, no. 87; and a bottle colored in a palette similar to the present example in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, illustrated by Bob C. Stevens, The Collector's Book of Snuff Bottles, New York and Tokyo, 1976, no. 314.