清十九世紀 宜興紫砂胎白釉粉彩「高山攬勝」圖鼻煙壺

永興行，香港，1985年

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1457

A few scratches and small abrasions to the surface. The white enamel has minor discoloration in places from general wear. Slight fading to the painting centrally on both sides.
"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, lot 1139 in the sale and Sale 5, lot 40 are all from the same enamel workshop and represent a coherent output that was reasonably large, extending beyond snuff bottles. The style of the painting is so distinctive that the name ‘Jagged Line Master’ is coined for the artist. The painting style is characterized by landscapes outlined in thick, modulated, jagged black lines painted with the freedom and expressiveness of one who has done it many times over and to whom it has become almost a visual cliché. Its origins go back to paintings of the Song dynasty, but the charming, folk-like quality here is far removed from the lofty masterpieces of the Song. The landscapes on the various wares are composed each time from a series of simple, familiar forms: apart from the distinctive rocks with their towering outcrops (also with Song antecedents), there are pine trees, elaborate pavilions – some of which are probably intended to indicate a temple – more modest country houses, and figures in skiffs. The boats are made up of two slightly curving lines (a thick blue one to form the hull, and a thinner black line above it). These landscapes are, as on most enamelled Yixing wares, primarily decorative in intent, obviously turned out in reasonably large numbers, and generalized in their subject matter. These are the landscapes of Jiangnan, with its waterways and islands, and towering rocky outcrops here and there; and the fisherman, if he is not intended as a scholar in fact, is there to remind the scholar of the simple life. There is an obvious similarity between this series of landscapes and those of the Slip Master (see lot 1047in this sale; Sale 3, lot 46; and Sale 7, lot 144).

The decorative nature of this group of enamelled bottles is demonstrated by the fact that although a continuous scene is suggested, what we have here is basically the same composition, with only minor variations, painted on each main side, and then joined with water at the edges. The same basic composition also occurs on other bottles and was a standard one for the artist (see for instance Stevens 1976, no. 339, where no. 338 is from the same hand, but of a different composition). A related subject, where larger-scale figures are in the foreground, is in Robert Kleiner & Co. 1994, no. 74. The enamelling for this group is usually over a white glaze, often crackled; it is similar to but thicker than that used on the inside of the majority of Yixing bottles. Alternative schemes are recessed panels of decoration with dark blue surroundsor imitation shagreen surrounds (see Sale 5, lot 40).

It is uncertain when this second distinctive style of enamelling began, but there is some evidence that it continued into the Daoguang period (see discussion under Sale 5, lot 40), hence the broad dating range for this group. Especially when they are in excellent condition, it is easy to see why their lively charm ensured them a good reception in their time.