AN INSIDE-PAINTED CRYSTAL 'FAN' SNUFF BOTTLE MA SHAOXUAN, LATE QING DYNASTY

Collection of Mrs. E.L. Holmes.
Christie's London, 5th April 1971, lot 7.
Hugh Moss.
J & J Collection.
Christie's New York, 29th March 2006, lot 60.

Hugh M. Moss Ltd., London, 1974.
Snuff Bottles of the Ch'ing Dynasty, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1978, cat. no. 233.
An Exhibition of 100 selected Chinese snuff bottles from the J & J Collection, Christie’s London, 1987, cat. no. 77.
Christie’s New York, 1993.
National Museum of Singapore, Singapore, 1994-5.
Snuff Bottles from China. The J&J Collection, Museum fur Kunsthandwerk, Frankfurt, 1996-7.
Rosemary Scott, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle: The J & J Collection, Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, 1997.
Naples Museum of Art, Florida, 2002.
Portland Museum of Art, Oregon, 2002.
The Miniature World: An exhibition of snuff bottles from the J & J Collection, National Museum of History, Taipei, 2002, p. 72.
International Asian Art Fair, Seventh Regiment Armory, New York, 2003.
The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle: Selected Snuff Bottle Collection of James Li, Poly Art Museum, Beijing, 2003.

Hugh Moss, ‘Criteria for Judging Snuff Bottles’, Journal of the International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society, December 1977, p. 18, no. 23.
Regina Krahl, 'Exhibition Highlights: Chinese Snuff Bottles', Orientations, October 1987, p. 42, fig. 8.
Journal of the International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society, Autumn 1989, front cover.
Victor Graham, ‘Chinese Costume Accessories as Reflected in Snuff Bottles’, Journal of the International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society, Winter 1989, p. 5, fig. 12.
Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle: The J & J Collection, New York, 1993, no. 421.
Asian Art, March 2003, p. 18.

The bottle has some tiny nibbles to the lip, one area of polished repair and one chip on the outer foot rim. There are also some natural icy flaws as well as abrasions and scratches to the surface from use. The painting has some minor fading to the cream paint used for the fan, most apparent on the side with the fish.
"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."

Only one other bottle of this unusual shape painted by Ma Shaoxuan is known, illustrated in Geng Baochang and Zhao Binghua 1992, no. 343. Its design is almost identical, although the positioning of the dragonfly has changed, and the bottle is slightly narrower. There can be no doubt that these two snuff bottles were made specifically to be painted with this subject matter.

Ma has successfully achieved a comfortable shape for the bottle, while giving the impression that the fan is open so as to reveal the design without distortion. This is one of Ma's most effective designs and more impressive bottles. The visual game of the fan inside a fan-shape and of Ma appearing to paint not merely the bottle but the fan itself, upon which he signs, is delightful, as is the use of the stopper as the terminal point of the fan itself, the hub, from which the frame with its bones radiates.