清光緒 粉彩五倫圖鼻煙壺 《大清光緒年製》款

香港蘇富比1994年5月5日，編號1548

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1432

Minor and insignificant wear to the paint on the red cockerel. Otherwise, in good condition.
"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."

Although this bottle and Sale 2, lot 129 are of identical design and composition, they were obviously not made as a pair or as part of the same set. One is distinctly taller than the other and has a slightly different profile. Even the biscuit seems different at the foot rim. This design was popular during the late nineteenth century and was apparently remade in batches on several occasions. Some bear the Guangxu mark, while others are simply inscribed with the nonspecific designation, Wanshang玩賞(‘For playful appreciation’). Examples are listed under Sale 2, lot 129.

The Daoguang versions are difficult to distinguish, other than by the mark, from the Guangxu ones, suggesting that the design began in the Daoguang and neither the enamels nor the painting style changed at all for half a century. They are usually of this bulbous, modified-cylindrical form and always superbly well painted.

The ones with reign marks seem likely to have been imperial orders, since not only is the quality outstanding and the porcelain as fine as one might expect in the later nineteenth century, but the marks are so often this formal, very proper, six-character reign mark in underglaze blue—requiring an additional process and thus more troublesome to add than the routine iron-red mark.

The colour scheme for the five cockerels is fairly standard, but the artist has taken a chance by placing the bird with ruby-pink feathers just behind the one with iron-red feathers. A black tail crisply drawn on the iron-red bird in front helps separate them visually on both bottles, though the enameller on this bottle has lost his nerve and added a meaningless fill of yellowish colour behind the tail.