AN EARLY SCHOOL INSIDE-PAINTED CRYSTAL SNUFF BOTTLE ATTRIBUTED TO GAN XUANWEN

of small rectangular shape and section finished with lobed corners, with carved raised panels on each face and side, below a cylindrical neck and resting on a carved rectangular foot, painted to the inside with ink and colors, one face depicting a boy riding a buffalo wading through a lake, the reverse with two figures making their way upstream in a boat, the narrow sides each inscribed with a seven-character inscription

Robert Kleiner.
Rachelle R. Holden Collection, acquired from above in 1992.
Christie's New York, 21st March 2000, lot 40.

There are very fine scratches to some of the painting, but they do not deter from the quality of the work. The bottle is in good condition overall, save for a tiny edge of the foot rim that has been polished down. The interior of the mouth with miniscule nicks from use.
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 inscription may be translated as:

'When doing things with the heart be careful,
be peaceful and respectful in speech and good luck will come.'

Other than the work of Yiru Jushi, which may date from the beginning of the 19th century, the group of bottles painted by Gan Xuanwen are, with certainty, the earliest known inside painted bottles, the earliest dating from 1815 (in the Princeton University Museum) and the latest in 1823. Gan Xuanwen did not come from Beijing but from the Lingnan (Guangdong) area in Southern China and is noted as an early 19th century literatus and painter in Guangdong shuhua la ('Written Record of Guangdong Calligraphers and Painters').  Possibly the only known painting by Gan is a handscroll in the collection of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. This being dated 1810, through the research of Peter Lam at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, has helped establish Gan as one of, if not, the first painter of bottles, placing the cyclical dates on his bottles within the late Jiaqing/early Daoguang period. It also suggests that Gan moved from traditional painting to this innovative medium and became a leader in this field.