- 1004
An Inside-Painted Glass ‘Auspicious Objects’ Snuff Bottle Zhou Leyuan, Fourth Month, 1890
Estimate
70,000 - 90,000 HKD
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Description
Provenance
Hugh M. Moss Ltd (prior to 1975).
Robert Hall, London, 1990.
Hugh M. Moss Ltd, 1992.
Robert Hall, London, 1990.
Hugh M. Moss Ltd, 1992.
Literature
Hall, 1990, no. 37.
Moss et al., 1996-2009, vol. 4, no. 482.
Moss et al., 1996-2009, vol. 4, no. 482.
Condition
Bottle: Surface scratches from use. Painting: Minor scratches from the spoon on the sides towards the base. Otherwise, studio 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."
"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
The poem praising the rock reads:
A rock of the Undying, of the finest kind,
Every part of exquisite elegance.
Security and peace, good fortune and honour;
‘The fire in the furnace burns perfectly blue.’
The final line is a common phrase taken from alchemy and refers to perfection in any endeavour.
This bottle belongs to Zhou’s later years. The landscape is the typical masterly, complex painting of a country idyll, with much less left-over space than tended to appear in some of his earlier landscapes. The blue tones that dominate his middle period are muted, although they return occasionally throughout the rest of his career.