清十八 / 十九世紀 檸檬黃地套翠綠料「松鼠葡萄」圖鼻煙壺

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Hugh M. Moss Ltd.，香港，1993年

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957

Note. Original glass cabochon has been replaced by one of a brighter colour, stained quartz.
"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 striking bottle displays several indications of an early nineteenth-century date. While the design is well composed and vital, control of the carving is inferior to that we might expect from the high point of the art in the eighteenth century. Although controlled reasonably well, the ground plane still exhibits signs of a less-than-perfect finish, and control of the overlay colour on the foot rim is poor. The yellow glass is also atypical for earlier production, being heavily flawed, with tiny dark specks; the specks, while barely visible and certainly not obtrusive in normal light, become very obvious under transmitted light. Owing to the mass of tiny air bubbles it contains, the yellow also exhibits an unusual and distinctive soufflé effect.

The colour combination does not appear to have been employed very often by glassmakers during the earlier phase of production, despite its striking appeal. While the yellow ground may indicate an imperial bottle, and the imperial glassworks remains a possible origin, the deeper into the nineteenth century one ventures, the less the degree of certainty regarding either the sanctity of imperial prerogatives or the location of courtly production. Apart from the indications of typically nineteenth-century production, the bottle is very well formed and displays a lively design, with particularly impressive control of the thin lines of the grape vine.