A JAPANESE CINNABAR LACQUER ON BRONZE SNUFF BOTTLE

of flattened spade shape below a cylindrical neck and metal-bound mouth, resting on a flat oval base, finely carved with a continuous field of magnolia blossoms and leaves, one face depicting a phoenix elegantly perched on a stem, the gilded bronze base incised with an apocryphal four-character Qianlong nianzhi mark

Sotheby's London, 2nd July 1984, lot 215.

Patrick K. M. Kwok, 'The Joe Grimberg Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles', Arts of Asia, November-December 1993, p. 97, no. 50.

The bottle is 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.

The present bottle belongs to a group of which only four others have been recorded. Two are illustrated in: Robert Kleiner, Chinese Snuff Bottles: The White Wings Collection, Hong Kong, 1997, p. 214, no. 149; and Hugh Moss, Chinese Snuff Bottles: 5, Feltham, Middlesex, 1969, p. 31, fig. 20. The fourth was sold in our London rooms, 2nd July 1984, lot 215. For an explanation of the group's Japanese origins, see Kleiner, op.cit., pp. 214-215.