1909年 玉髓內畫「金魚」圖鼻煙壺 葉仲三畫

《己酉杏月葉仲三作》款 「印」印

Sydney L. Moss Ltd.
Kurt Blücher von Walhstatt (Graf).
Hugh M. Moss Ltd.
Heflene 收藏

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532

Bottle: There is a cross shaped crack on the reverse side worked into the design. Painting: Studio 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 one of the unquestionably old chalcedony bottles painted by Ye fairly regularly from 1904 onwards (see discussion under Sale 2, lot 52). One can be reasonably certain in this case, since there is a star crack in the bottle on the side without the inscription and Ye has incorporated it into the painting. There was a considerable opportunity for the inside-painted artists, realized only occasionally by the Ye family, of transforming damaged bottles back into perfect ones in this way. With a plain chalcedony, a star crack of this sort is a serious problem that would put off most collectors and would certainly have affected the general appeal of the work of art in its day, making it much cheaper to acquire than a perfect example. Even today, a cracked plain chalcedony would be worth a fraction of the price of a similar one in perfect condition. Such bottles could have been acquired cheaply in Ye’s day as well, of that we can be certain. By taking the bottle as the frame for a painting, however, the inside-painted artists can incorporate the damage into a new work of art, taking what was negative and making it positive.

Here the cracks, radiating out from the point of contact, are used as the radiating veins of an aquatic plant and, in one case, as the backbone of a fan-tailed goldfish. This process of transforming damage into something positive in art ideally suits the symbolism of reaping wealth, represented by the goldfish in a pond.

Ye painted many fish subjects inside semi-transparent chalcedony, responding to the impression given of fish swimming in muddy water, and they are always effective, if a little difficult to read in detail—but then, no one can see the finer details of fish swimming in a muddy river or pond, either. The subject of the fish in a pond seems to have been a particularly popular one in 1909 and constitutes the majority of his known works from that year.