A MOULDED FAMILLE-ROSE PORCELAIN 'EROTIC COUPLE' SNUFF BOTTLE QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG / JIAQING PERIOD

Eldred's, 13th August 1989, lot SB 473.
Robert Hall, 1990.

Robert Hall, Chinese Snuff Bottles III, London, 1990, no. 69.
Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection, vol. 6, Hong Kong, 2007, no. 1217.

Chip to the outer lip. Some minor wear to the gilt. Repair to the penis of the man holding the red towel.
"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 would be comforting to cling to the belief that no erotic images could have been made for any court under the moral sway of the censorious Qianlong emperor; unfortunately, things are not so simple. Some erotic bottles without marks are remarkably similar in quality and style to known imperial products with other subjects; there are also reign-marked examples that indicate that such wares were produced for the court. By the mid-Qing period, snuff bottles were the playthings of a vast swath of the influential minority, becoming ever-more popular at all levels of society. A significant portion of the upper strata of male society were snuff-takers who would show off their precious snuff bottles among their friends, passing them around so that others might try their snuff. The obvious saucy entertainment value of erotic snuff bottles in predominantly male company assured their popularity. What is perhaps more surprising than their appearance is that it happened so late. Overtly erotic subjects on snuff bottles prior to the last decades of the eighteenth century are exceedingly rare, and the vast majority date from the Jiaqing reign or later, suggesting that it was not a major imperial trend, and had to await the popular demand for snuff bottles before blossoming as subject matter.

One intriguing feature tends to separate erotic moulded porcelains them from other types of imperial production. They are frequently decorated with the gold ground that appears on all three in the Bloch Collection (see alsoSale 3, lot 124and Sale 8, lot 1132).

The enamels and the moulding style here both suggest a Jiaqing date for this bottle, although it is conceivable that it might have been made a little before or after. A very similar bottle was in the Ko Collection (Christie’s London, 8th November 1976, lot 46).