清1894-1940年 料胎內畫通景「山水」圖鼻煙壺 白朗宸製 《白朗宸作》款 「白」印

with a slightly concave lip and a recessed convex foot surrounded by a protruding rounded footrim, painted with a continuous scene of a scholar on a donkey, followed by an attendant on foot, approaching a plank bridge across a small stream, on their way to a small group of houses in a mountainous landscape with various trees, including what appears to be a willow, inscribed in regular script, ‘Executed by Bai Langchen,’ with one seal of the artist, Bai, in negative seal script; with a glass stopper

倫敦佳士得1994年12月5日，編號403

倫敦佳士得，1999年

Hugh Moss、Victor Graham 及曾嘉寶，《A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection》，卷4，香港，2000年，編號564

The snuff bottle is in very good condition. Apart from traces of snuff staining on the interior, the condition of the painting is also good. The colour of the snuff bottle ground is not as pink as the illustration would suggest in the catalogue, and is more white.
"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."

The landscape is one of Bai Langchen's finest examples, and he has restricted his brushwork to an integrated, rustic style that depends little upon the strength of individual, calligraphic lines as used by Ding Erzhong, for instance. The composition is well put together and provides an effective idealized setting for the mounted scholar.

All of his undated works simply say Bai Langchen zuo (Executed by Bai Langchen), with the exception of a 1930 bottle formerly in the Marian Mayer Collection inscribed Bai Langchen ouzuo (Executed by chance by Bai Langchen). Otherwise, his dated bottles give only the barest information as to the year and, sometimes, the month of painting. Nowhere in his output does he mention where he painted, although we know that he lived in Beijing.