- 175
A MINIATURE INSIDE-PAINTED GLASS 'LADY AND WUTONG TREE' SNUFF BOTTLE DING ERZHONG, 1893
Description
- glass
Provenance
Exhibited
National Museum of Singapore, Singapore, 1994-1995.
Christie’s London, 1999.
Literature
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. 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
Both the painting and the calligraphy here exhibit some hesitancy compared to his later works, but it is, nonetheless, charming painting and the subject of the lady embracing the tree is an excellent work for an artist so new to the medium. It is also the smallest bottle it has been recorded by him, qualifying as a miniature.
This bottle has been attributed to Beijing and to the Xuannan district because of the inscription on Sale 4, lot 86, painted the following year.
Dongtian yipin, the inscription over the stone, is the name the great calligrapher Mi Fu 米芾 (1051 – 1107) gave to a Taihu stone that he worshipped daily. The stone depicted here is a rather whimsical depiction, as odd in its own way as the painting of the woman with a tree between her legs on the other side.