AN INSIDE PAINTED CRYSTAL SNUFF BOTTLE BY DING ERZHONG

of flattened rectangular form resting on a petite and neatly carved footrim, very well hollowed, painted on the inside with ink and watercolors, on one side two deer taking refuge in the shade of a towering pine tree, among craggy rocks and large peony blooms, two bats hover above, a stream running through the foreground, an eight-character inscription translated as 'Picture of happiness and emoluments, following the style of Yuhu waishi, Erzhong', with two red seals Erzhong and Ding, the reverse painted with three vignettes, the top depicting a figure on a horse crossing a bridge in a mountainous setting, the inscription translated as 'After the style of Liuru jushi, Erzhong', with a red seal Erzhong, the bottom left leaf with an aerial perspective of three goldfish among waterweeds and small fish, next to a smaller vignette featuring a calligraphic inscription dated to the fourth year of the Zhengguang period of the Northern Wei dynasty (522 AD), to its left an inscription translated as 'Copying [an] ancient [text] by Erzhong in the seventh month of 1901', red seal Ding

Hugh Moss (HK) Ltd.

Pigment is intact, in overall good condition with minor scratches on the surface between the exterior and inner rim of the mouth, and one tiny chip on the inner rim of the mouth.
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.

Ding Erzhong (1865-1935) is considered one of the masters among inside-painted snuff bottle artists. He was also well-known as a carver of literati objects, as well as a calligrapher with knowledge of ancient texts. This latter skill is apparent in the present bottle, where the artist depicts a calligraphic inscription dating to the Northern Wei period.

The present bottle is believed to be one of Ding's masterpieces. He rarely worked on rock crystal, yet when he did find a high-quality crystal bottle, such as this, his passion for the medium is apparent in the sumptuous painting and very rare subject matter of album leaves. Another rock crystal bottle painted by Ding, dated 1884 but believed to have been created between 1900-1904, is in the Collection of Mary and George Bloch, illustrated in Robert Kleiner, Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Collection of Mary and George Bloch, Hong Kong, 1987, pl. 251, p. 188. Three inside-painted rock crystal bottles by Ding are illustrated in Heavenly Creations: Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Collections of Anthony Cheung, Humphrey Hui, Po-ming Kwong, Tuyet Nuyet and Christopher Sin, Hong Kong, 2005, figs. 339-341, pp. 199-201.

Yuhu waishi is the hao of Gai Qi (1774-1829), a Qing dynasty painter known primarily for his figurative subjects. Liuru jushi is the hao of the famous late-Ming dynasty artist Tang Yin (1470-1523).