A WHITE AND RUSSET JADE ‘CHILONG’ SNUFF BOTTLE POSSIBLY IMPERIAL, QING DYNASTY, LATE 17TH - EARLY 19TH CENTURY

of pebble material, very well hollowed, with a concave foot with narrow flat footrim, carved with a chilong chasing a pearl among clouds; the mother-of-pearl stopper with a turquoise finial and coral collar

A European private collection.
Sotheby's London, 7th June 1990, lot 56.

Chinese Snuff Bottles: A Miniature Art from the Collection of George and Mary Bloch, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1994, cat. no. 39.
National Museum of Singapore, Singapore, 1994-1995.

Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection, vol. 1, Hong Kong, 1996, no. 24.

The snuff bottle is overall in very good condition. The lip and footrim are in good condition. The actual colour of the stone is less russet, more brown, and the white section of the jade of a warmer tone 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."

A series of jade bottles made from the Kangxi period through to the early nineteenth century are linked by imaginative use of brown-and-white pebble material and the use of chilong, which may have been a feature of Palace production, or production for the Court. The bottles represent less a coherent school of carving than a continuity of genius following the same impulse: to create a masterpiece of sculpture from the combination of a material and a subject that were both popular with the Qing ruling elite and with others as well. In this sale, lot 112 also qualifies as a member of this group. The two share the qualities of superb mastery of the medium combined with imaginative use of the pebble material, giving them a magical quality and extraordinary visual and tactile appeal.

The original nephrite pebble had a cleft in it that ran deep into the material, terminating in a jagged flaw filled with surface discolouration; the rich brown skin on one side of the cleft and the pure white material on the other side form a unique configuration whose sweep and curve inspired the artist to use it to great advantage to create a sinuous chilong, swooping down from the neck of the bottle on one narrow side and raising its head upwards low on the front of the bottle. This leaves the hindquarters, part of the tail, and much of the rest of the back and shoulders of the beast in a richly varied russet brown skin material in stark contrast to the white inner pebble, emphasized at the outer curve of its back by the jagged and deeply coloured flaw that delineates it. At first glance a tiny area of brown skin just above the dragon’s head might be taken for the ubiquitous pearl, but in fact the pearl is on the other shoulder, opposite the dragon, set in an irregular break in the clouds cleverly carved to incorporate a slightly grey-brown area of material. The artist has also chosen to make the typically feline head of the chilong smaller than usual, thus emphasizing the powerful shoulders between which it is set and concentrating attention on the exciting and more dynamic carving of the line of the back and the natural flaws and colouring of the stone. Superb hollowing through a reasonably wide mouth and an impeccably finished, slightly concave foot surrounded by a narrow, even, and perfectly flat footrim complete the unusual flattened pear shape of the bottle. The present bottle is a masterpiece that comes to life ultimately in the hand, where its entirely comfortable fit and the accompanying impulse to fondle it demonstrate that this is its natural habitat.