清十八世紀 雪霏地套藍料高士圖鼻煙壺 連水彩紙本畫

together with a watercolour illustration by Peter Suart

張宗憲，1980年
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95
《Kleine Schätze aus China. Snuff bottles—Sammlung von Mary und George Bloch erstmals in Österreich》，Creditanstalt，維也納，1993年

Julia Wilkinson，〈Bottled Treasures. George and Mary Bloch introduce the diverse and miniature world of the Chinese Snuff Bottle〉，《The Illustrated London News》，1990年夏，頁48。再刊於《The Orient Express Magazine》，卷7，編號2（1990年），頁48及《Prestige》，1990年夏，頁48
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922

A large smoothed out repair to a chip in the neck just below the lip, with the neck narrowed a little to help hide it. Numerous tiny air bubbles, some burst to the surface. A tiny chip or possible air bubble on the roof of the residence.
"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 bottle, one of the broader group discussed under Sale 2, lot 69, introduces two distinctive elements for stylistic analysis. These are the plantain leaves, so beautifully and distinctively rounded and carved with considerable realism, and the pine-needle clusters, which are much more rounded and three-dimensional than is normal. The latter link Sale 3, lot 21 to the group.

This, together with Sale 7, lot 137, is a rare exception to the rule for what is believed to be early carved glass—and this group in particular—in that the overlay colour on the foot rim is not crisply confined to it. One area of the foot rim is in the ground colour here, while on Sale 7, lot 137 the blue runs slightly further up one side of the foot rim than the other.

On the best of glass overlays from the earlier phase of production, the degree to which the colour is so precisely matched to the foot rim while maintaining the formal integrity of the bottle is always impressive. The choices open to the carver regarding the shape and extent of his foot rim were limited, since the overlay colour was dictated by the glassblower. Occasionally, as in this case, problems must have arisen in achieving this difficult feat, but it is an extraordinary feature of these early masterpieces that the match of overlay to foot rim is so often faultless.