二十世紀初 馬少宣作水晶內畫踏雪尋梅圖鼻煙壺 《少宣氏作》款

Gerd Lester 收藏，1986年

Robert Kleiner，《Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Collection of Mary and George Bloch》，Sydney L. Moss Ltd，倫敦，1987年，編號292
《Kleine Schätze aus China. Snuff bottles—Sammlung von Mary und George Bloch erstmals in Österreich》，Creditanstalt，維也納，1993年
倫敦佳士得，1999年

Gerd Lester，〈Artistry in a Bottle〉，《Antiques World》，1980年9月，頁67
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600

Bottle: Slightly careless shaping of the foot, which appears to be original. Painting: very 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."

This is another of Ma Shaoxuan’s masterpieces, with an exquisitely painted composition that is well thought out, individual, and impressive. This seems to fit into the general category of highly refined paintings represented by Sale 7, lot 165, where superb painting is combined with an unusual subject and where the calligraphy is particularly elegant, with thin, very carefully controlled strokes. Compare this donkey to that on Sale 4, lot 97, probably painted by a family member in 1903. The former is an outline filled with black ink with practically no variation to suggest texture or animal hair. Here, however, the donkey is treated in the same way as the clothing on Ma’s best portraits, with a far more intriguing and sensitive impression of texture. It seems that this sophisticated texturing and the more refined calligraphy, characterised by its thinner strokes and greater control of balance between characters, represents the fruits of Ma’s labour to master the portrait genre and impress his new contacts in lofty positions at court.

The poem is the one Huang Chengyan was intoning as he came to see his son-in-law Zhuge Liang in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. See Sale 3, lot 60 for a summary of the episode. (The lines in square brackets are omitted from the present bottle.)

All night long the north wind blew cold;
Thick clouds portending snow gather over ten thousand li.
In the vast sky, snow floats in confusion and
Transforms completely the old look of the streams and mountains.
Lifting my head to observe the heavens,
I suspect the jade dragons must be in earnest combat.
[Their scales falling off in great profusion
In an instant scatter all over the universe.]
As I cross the small bridge on the back of a donkey,
I sigh in my solitude over the thinness of the plum blossoms.