清十八 / 十九世紀 涅白地套寳石藍料「梅花」圖鼻煙壺

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935

A couple of minor nibbles in the sapphire-blue overlay. Not significant.
"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."

Certain features of this small bottle suggest it is more likely to date from the first half of the nineteenth century than the last part of the eighteenth. The most telling of these is the detailing of the foot, where, rather than being confined neatly to the foot rim, the blue overlay bleeds extensively into the foot. Hinted at by the main-side view where the foot rim line is a little uneven, this becomes more obvious when the bottle is inverted, revealing three uneven and untidy spikes of blue running well into the centre of the foot. This is a clear indication of the gradual decline in standards that we suspect began in the latter part of the Qianlong period. To confine the overlay colour perfectly to the foot rim presented a challenge, demanding a skilled partnership between glassblower and carver, but once a degree of bleeding around the foot became acceptable practice, production would have been considerably simplified. Other features indicating a mid-Qing date are found in the relatively small mouth and uneven ground plane.

The carving is otherwise impressive, the subtle use of two different planes of carving in the blue leaving thicker areas of darker glass that are used to considerable effect, notably where smaller twigs and buds cross in front of the main trunk of the tree. The general layout of the branches and flowers is similar on each side (although as a mirror image) but the details are quite different, which suggests a more consciously artistic approach.

For other small bottles with design of a similar nature and obviously from the same workshop, see Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 28th October 1993, lot 1043 (black on pink), and Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 3rd November 1994, lot 809 (cinnabar-red on black). There is also an obvious stylistic association between this and lot 1146 in this sale.