清十八世紀 寶石紅料磨花葫蘆鼻煙壺

Christopher and Louise Randall 伉儷收藏
香港佳士得1995年10月31日，編號1851

王金海，《鼻煙壺鑒賞與收藏》，上海，1996年，頁140左下
Hugh Moss、Victor Graham 及曾嘉寶，《A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection》，卷5，香港，2002年，編號799

Two tiny nibbles to the inner lip. One chip on the edge of the octagonal shape, near to the base. An air bubble burst to the surface, also on the octagonal. Some wear to the surface from use. One horizontal scratch just below the faceted shoulder band, 8mm.
"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."

Formally, this bottle is a strange hybrid. It gives the impression of combining the concept of Sale 5, lot 133 (where an octagonal surface plane of faceting appears to be wrapped around with a similarly faceted, formalised brocade) with that of Sale 7, lot 72 (which is the standard eighteenth-century octagonal form with circular or oval panels on each side). Although the separate components of this unique shape can be identified independently, the obvious inspiration for the overall form is the double gourd—as is the case with Sale 8, lot 1160. This form was a popular court staple, to be found across a wide range of later Chinese arts.

The ruby glass, the faceting, and to some extent the form—not only because it is a double gourd, but also in the light of the method of faceting the upper bulb of the gourd, which relates it to the yellow glass example of Sale 5, lot 133—all suggest a palace origin. The complexity of the form, moreover, may indicate a date from the mid-Qianlong period, when one begins to see a tendency towards novelty in every aspect of the snuff-bottle arts. It is also known, however, from the enamelled glass example in the J & J Collection (Moss, Graham, and Tsang 1993, no. 185) that the form of the lower segment existed in the early Qianlong period.