清嘉慶 白釉模印「太獅少獅」鼻煙壺

Robert Kleiner，倫敦，1996年

Hugh Moss、Victor Graham 及曾嘉寶，《A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection》，卷6，香港，2007年，編號1197

Repair to the teeth and tip of the lions tongue. Further repair to one tooth and tongue of the cat. The other tooth is missing. Some wear to the raised areas and minute chip to the cats forehead, foot and the tip of the lions tail.
"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 Buddhist lion, sometimes known as a Fo-dog or Fo-lion (Fo for Buddha), is a mythical beast that acts as a protector. The standard Ming and Qing form for such guardians was one male and one female, the former identified by a brocade ball, the latter by her cub, each beast usually with one paw raised and resting upon whichever attribute identifies it.  The application of the design to snuff bottles seems to have begun in the late Qianlong years, but it was a popular staple of the Jiaqing reign, from which this one almost certainly dates. Several different models are known, and in some cases several different moulds for each model are extant, confirming the popularity of the design and suggesting a reasonably large output.

The crackled beige glaze is of the type referred to erroneously as ‘soft paste’, but this model, and probably others from the same mould, also occur in the more standard porcelain with a pure white glaze.

The construction method here is the same as for other moulded porcelains, plainly evident on the inside and even hinted at on the outside in the slight ridge particularly noticeable across the top of the head of the parent beast: a two-part mould. This particular model, without the thickness of enamel of the coloured versions, is extremely well detailed and unusually impressive.