1903年 玻璃內畫「僧侶」圖鼻煙壺 丁二仲畫 「丁」、「二仲」印

《丁二仲寫》款 「丁」印 《擬青藤老人晝意，癸卯冬月二仲寫於白下》款 「丁」、「二仲」印

Kaynes-Klitz 收藏
香港蘇富比1989年11月16日，編號153

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559

There is some minor rubbing to the painting, eg. an insignificant loss to a tiny patch on the head, but otherwise good 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."

Baixia is another name for Nanjing, and the glass bottle here is similar in form to Sale 7, lot 139, being much chubbier than the normal Beijing shape. If made by the same local glass-maker, however, it appears that by now he has been pressed by Ding to produce better work, since the shape and detailing are much improved.

The subject of the itinerant monk is unique for Ding. The size of the figure is also rare, one comparable work being Sale 4, lot 43 from this collection, but here the figure is more prominent still. There is an echo of Ding’s jagged rocks coming in from the top of the picture frame here, but otherwise everything about this subject is unusual.

The other side is painted with a typical auspicious subject, but with a few unusual additions and in what appears to be a rather looser style. However, this is mainly the impression gained from the rock, which is much more naturalistic than in his previous rock paintings, with a great deal more grass growing from it, giving the impression of a looser style. The detailing of the bronze vessel and the other elements is very much like his earlier masterpieces of the subject.

Qingteng laoren was the literary name of the Ming writer and painter, Xu Wei 徐渭 (1521–1593), whose spontaneous brushwork was much admired. It is only with the auspicious objects that he specifically invokes Xu Wei, but the artist was also a well-known figure painter, and it may be that the rather stronger than usual lines of the robes of the itinerant monk are also a reference to Xu, although it is difficult with a bamboo pen to achieve the wildly varying modulation of Xu Wei’s distinctive brushwork.