AN INSIDE-PAINTED GLASS 'MINNOWS AND LANDSCAPE' SNUFF BOTTLE ZHOU LEYUAN, 1890

Hugh M. Moss Ltd., 1985.

Christie’s London, 1999.

Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection, vol. 4, Hong Kong, 2000, no. 489.

The bottle has some tiny nibbles to the outer lip, and a small flake from the top of the neck. There is also a chip from the outer footrim. Some scratches to the surface and a tiny chip just above the base on side with the pond scene. The painting has some minor fading to the painting of the pond and the lotus plants.
"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."

This bottle can be dated with reasonable confidence even though it is undated by the artist. The landscape is in his classic late style and it might have been done in 1891 or possibly even 1892. The subject of the fish and lotus, however, is more in keeping with those painted in 1890. This type of lotus design was painted again occasionally after 1890, but usually without the minnows. There is one recorded from 1891 with swallows flying above the lotus, and another with dragonflies from the same year. There are even examples from 1892, but the minnows, which also appear on lot 131 in this auction (dated to the mid-summer of 1890), seem to have been favoured in 1890.

The last and most concrete clue as to its correct date is to be found in the small-scale, delicate calligraphy. Little as there is of it, it is much more in keeping with the lovely Sale 1, lot 91, dated to the autumn of 1890, where the signature is written in very much the same manner, with the same final flourish to the character ‘yuan.’

This is a superb example of Zhou’s late classic landscapes, which were fully evolved by 1890 and which he painted fairly frequently until his last known work in the spring of 1893.

On the other main side, the four minnows are among Zhou’s finest. Although among the tiniest fish he painted, they are often his best and they always create a dynamic pattern in their own right.