A CRYSTAL DOUBLE SNUFF BOTTLE QING DYNASTY, 18TH / 19TH CENTURY

Hugh M. Moss Ltd., 1986.

Robert Kleiner, Boda Yang, and Clarence F. Shangraw, Chinese Snuff Bottles: A Miniature Art from the Collection of George and Mary Bloch, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1994, cat. no. 203.
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. 2, Hong Kong, 1998, no. 252.

One flaked chip to the lip of the main bottle and a two chips to the outer footrim. Natural icy flaws seen within the crystal.
"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."

It is interesting to note that the interior hollowing of the larger, bell-shaped container does not follow the outer profile exactly but is deliberately curved to resemble a type of bell that evolved later. Early bells tended to have either an approximately straight-sided or even convex profile, whereas by the Ming dynasty, a second standard was established that was closer in style to the Western re-curved bell shape with its profile resembling a stretched ‘S’.

The style of hollowing, material, and what little relief carving there is all suggest that this is a product of the school of the Rustic Crystal Master (see Sale 8, lot 1021 and other links from that page). With the imaginative use of materials that was routine for this school, which favoured materials of the quartz family, the maker has separated the two forms by using the more heavily flawed material with its suffusion of net-like markings for the drum, while the bell-shaped container is of clear crystal. The joining of the two containers here follows the standard for curving surfaces, where the curved drum shape blends into the flat side of the bell shape, sharing its wall to give a better bond and visually combine the two forms more securely.