清雍正 寶石紅料磨花八方鼻煙壺 《雍正年製》款

Eric Hancock 收藏
R.W. Jackson 收藏
George Horan, Ltd
Christopher and Louise Randall 伉儷收藏
香港佳士得1995年10月31日，編號1853

冼祖謙、許建勳及鄺溥銘編，《壺趣集慶：中國鼻煙壺展》，徐氏藝術館，香港，1996年，編號28

Clare Lawrence，〈Review of the Exhibition and Catalogue of the Mary and George Bloch Exhibition at the British Museum〉，《國際中國鼻煙壺協會學術期刊》，1996年春，頁28，圖2
王金海，《鼻煙壺鑑賞與收藏》，上海，1996年，頁140右下
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804

Numerous tiny air bubbles, some burst to the surface. Tiny nibbles to the inner lip. Extensive crizzling to the surface inside.
"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 extraordinary bottle is unique among ruby-red glass snuff bottles by virtue of having an entirely credible Yongzheng reign mark, corroborated by other characteristics of early products. The extensive crizzling seems to be confined to the inside surface, and while the exterior seems to have been re-polished at some time, whoever was responsible had the grace and foresight to refrain from completely eradicating the patina of wear from the foot, which might have called the mark into question. Such crizzling, the exception rather than the rule on ruby-glass, indicates an early date and helps to confirm the palace-workshop attribution.

Another indication of the authenticity of the mark is provided by the nature of the ruby glass itself: crizzling apart, it is full of air bubbles, one or two of which are disproportionately large. Ruby-red glass of less than complete purity is a feature of the few known pieces of Yongzheng-marked glass other than snuff bottles.

The wide mouth provides the final clue to the early period of this bottle.

Once established, this shape seems to have been produced, at least occasionally, throughout the dynasty (see for instance lot 50 in this sale for a Daoguang-marked version of the same basic shape).

The stopper here is a most unusual gilt-metal and silver one, the main stopper made up of a network of formalised floral design in gilt bronze with a silver finial and collar. While similar in appearance to those which originally accompanied painted enamel on metal bottles, it is a unique version. Probably representing a rare palace alternative, it may have originally graced an enamel bottle, but may just possibly have been the original for this one. With glass bottles, where stoppers in contrasting materials are almost invariably standard, it is impossible to judge whether a particular stopper might have been the original—which of course means that it does not matter—but it seems likely that such metal, enamel-style stoppers were also used on other palace products.