- 118
AN INSIDE-PAINTED AGATE SNUFF BOTTLE YE FAMILY, SECOND MONTH, 1938
Estimate
30,000 - 40,000 HKD
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Description
with a concave lip and a concave foot surrounded by a flat footrim, painted on one main side with three scholars in a boat being paddled by a boat-boy to view a pine growing from an overhanging cliff, the other main side with four scholars seated on a rocky plateau at the foot of a cliff, inscribed in cursive script, wuyin xingyue Ye Zhongsan zuo (‘Executed by Ye Zhongsan in the second month of the year wuyin’, corresponding to 1938), with one seal of the artist, yin (‘seal’), in negative seal script; the tourmaline stopper with a jadeite collar; the bottle mid-18th / mid-19th century
Provenance
Collection of Hugh Moss, 1985.
Exhibited
Christie's, London, 1999.
Literature
Hugh Moss, 'The Apricot Grove Studio, Part II: The Artists, 1930-1949', Journal of the International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society, Autumn 1984, p. 79, figs. 230 and 230a.
Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection, vol. 4, Hong Kong, 2000, no. 653.
Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection, vol. 4, Hong Kong, 2000, no. 653.
Condition
The bottle: there is a flaw in the agate, low on one main side beneath the prow of the boat, but which was there when Ye painted it, as he has incorporated it into foreground foliage. There is some pitting, small abrasions on one main side. The condition of the painting itself is otherwise very good. The actual colour of the stone background is slightly more grey, less pink compared to the catalogue illustration.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
This well made bottle is attributable to the eighteenth century. Responding to the material, a Ye family member had created two entirely new subjects for the family studio. On one side is a group of scholars on a boating trip and on the other four more scholars at their leisure in the mountains. The natural markings in the stone have been imaginatively incorporated into the subject making the bottle an exciting example because of the way they have been combined.