清十八世紀中葉 / 十九世紀 留皮玉浮雕「東方朔盜桃」鼻煙壺 留皮玉雕派製 《子岡》仿款

刻文：「在天為星，精降為漢，名臣詼諧軼群」

Hugh M. Moss Ltd，香港，1994年

《Chinese Snuff Bottles in the Collection of Mary and George Bloch》，大英博物館，倫敦，1995年，編號96

Hugh Moss、Victor Graham 及曾嘉寶，《A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection》，卷1，香港，1996年，編號133

The snuff bottle is in very good condition. The background of the bottle is somewhat more grey, and the decoration in relief is less red, more brown, compared to the catalogue illustration.
"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 term 'Master of the Rocks' school refers to a group of bottles represented by the present example as well as others in the Bloch collection, including those sold by Bonhams Hong Kong, 23rd May 2010, lot 45; 23rd November 2010, lots 112 and 148; 25th May 2011, lot 50; as well as lot 44 in this auction

Although this bottle is very clearly of the school, its material is unusual for the school. This sort of grey nephrite with darker grey markings was more commonly used by the Suzhou school. The form was a popular one for the Master of the Rocks school, with gently rounded edges and corners still allowing for an essentially rectangular reading of the shape.

As a work of art, this fulfils all the technical and artistic expectations we have of the best of the Master of the Rocks school. The skin is used in an unusual way for the school in that it is entirely confined to the relief detail. This is another possible connection with Suzhou, where the classic wares also used colour in this way. The carving is as superbly controlled as any from the school, with the evocative subject very clearly separated from the ground plane, which is finished to perfection with a slightly matt, textured ground, standard to the group. The design is simple, partly because it is entirely defined by a different colour, but nonetheless superbly carved. This is particularly apparent in the carving of the bat, superbly exaggerated in the length of its wings and very elegantly curved around one upper corner of the design to act as a convincing bat and to form part of the integral frame which the design sets up for itself.

The inscription indicates that the man with the peaches is Dongfang Shuo (154 - 93 BCE), an official under Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty. Dongfang Shuo is identified with the Longevity Star, and pictures of him with peaches are used to convey birthday congratulations. The inscription may be translated as follows:

In heaven you were the essence of a star;
Coming to earth, you were a famous official of the Han,
Your wit leaving the common sort behind.