AN IVORY 'FINGER CITRON' SNUFF BOTTLE QING DYNASTY / REPUBLICAN PERIOD

The Chinese Porcelain Co., New York, 1992.
Hugh Moss (HK) Ltd., 1997.

Chinese Snuff Bottles and Jade Carvings from the Douglas, Gnam and Other collections, Chinese Porcelain Co., New York, 1992, cat. no. 81.

Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection, vol. 7, Hong Kong, 2009, no. 1554.

There are some typical polished chips to the intricate carving, especially to the branches at the mouth and in front of the butterfly. The overall condition is otherwise quite good except for a couple of small typical worn holes to the lip and base, as well as occasional fine age crackles.
"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."

No other ivory bottle of this design is known, making it difficult to place and date. There seem to be three possibilities. It may be imperial and date from sometime between the late Qianlong and the Daoguang eras. Fruit-form bottles were extremely popular during the Qianlong reign and into the Jiaqing, so an ivory equivalent would not be surprising. The quality of the carving is extremely impressive, the hollowing functional, and the design acceptable for imperial taste.

The second possibility is that it comes from a more general production from the mid-Qing into the latter part of the nineteenth century, when the habit of snuffing had spread all around the empire and regional production centres were turning out large quantities of snuff bottles in a wide range of materials.

The third possibility is that it is part of extensive, well-carved Chinese production for a collectors’ market in the Republican period.

Although there is evidence of wear on the relief extremities, neither the slightly flattened areas of the base that help the bottle to stand steadily upright nor the flat lip are extensively worn, and the marks of the original filing are visible with the help of magnification. This makes the second possibility less likely, for a bottle that would have been in circulation for a century or so would have had the original file markings worn down more.

The state of the bottle is more commensurate with either an imperial or Republican origin. At court, many bottles ended up in imperial storerooms, not to emerge until after 1860, by which time they were less likely to be used than collected and put straight into a cabinet or box. Republican-era bottles made directly for Western collectors might also remain relatively unworn.

Although one must keep an open mind as to the bottle’s origin and date, the quality of the carving is excellent, and the original stopper, completing the design, a delightful bonus.

A related bottle of the same fruit, similarly well carved but of a different design, was in Sotheby’s, London, 18 April 1987, lot 655.