A RETICULATED SOAPSTONE SNUFF BOTTLE

of small rounded form sloping to a tapered neck, resting on a flat oval base, the body exquisitely reticulated on each face with a ruyi form panel revealing an inner cylindrical chamber, the shoulders each carved with a fierce dragon-head, their curled manes entwined, their tongues extending down the sides and curling together at the reticulated panel, finely incised and gilded throughout, with a wave-pattern on the body and a scrolling band at the neck, the stone of a pale grayish-white color with crimson and golden-russet inclusions, original matching stopper carved with two Buddhist lions

Marian Mayer.
Clare Lawrence Ltd.

Patrick K. M. Kwok, 'The Joe Grimberg Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles', Arts of Asia, November-December 1993, p. 96, no. 39.
Snuff Bottles: Little Gems of Delight, Singapore, 2004, p. 74, fig. M245.

The bottle has some very small nicks along the edges of the mouthrim and the base. The stopper has a 1/8 inch chip. The color has a slightly less red tinge than the catalogue illustration suggests.
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.

This jewel of a bottle is part of a group of soapstone bottles that are related in terms of their striking reticulation and inner chamber, yet all exhibit details of carving that are individualistic. One, in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, is illustrated in Bob C. Stevens, The Collector's Book of Snuff Bottles, New York and Tokyo, 1976, fig. 646, and features peonies and birds. Another, which is carved with a similar double-dragon design, is illustrated in Denis S. K. Low, Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Sanctum of Enlightened Respect III, Hong Kong,  2007, p. 303, pl. 265.

A third bottle, illustrated by Helen White, Snuff Bottles from China: The Victoria and Albert Museum Collection, Singapore, 1992, p. 66-67, pl. 26, fig. 1, is similar to the present example but is carved from carnelian.