A YELLOW AND RUSSET JADE 'FIVE MONKEYS' SNUFF BOTTLE MASTER OF THE ROCKS SCHOOL, QING DYNASTY, MID-18TH / MID-19TH CENTURY

of pebble material, well hollowed with a recessed convex foot, carved with five monkeys picking fruit from a peach tree growing from a rocky outcrop, three of the monkeys on the rocky ground, each holding a peach, the other two in the tree, where three more large fruit are ripe for picking, the narrow sides with mask-and-ring handles; the quartz stopper with a glass collar

Gerd Lester (until 1986).

Chinese Snuff Bottles in the Collection of Mary and George Bloch, The British Museum, London, 1995, cat. no. 84.

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. 140.

The snuff bottle is in very good condition. The rim and footring are in good condition. The actual colour of the stone is slightly more pale green, the russet patch more brownish 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."

The material used for the present bottle was favoured by the Master of the Rocks school and was known in the late Qing period as 'yellow steamed-chestnut', and to modern collectors as Han jade. It was far from the only material used, but was sufficiently popular to have become a characteristic trade-mark.

A possibly significant feature of this impressive example is also common to the school. It has a small mouth in relation to the lip, in this case almost as small as any known jade snuff bottle of normal size, and similar to another bottle from the Bloch collection, sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 28th May 2010, lot 45. This may not preclude wider mouths from the school, but it is an indication of a typical mouth detail. Both these bottles also have confidently carved forms with neat, crisp and pronounced footrims and are both also superbly finished.