清十八 / 十九世紀 黃料瓜形鼻煙壺

知柔齋收藏，香港
Hugh Moss (HK) Ltd，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769

There is a nibble to to the inner lip and two barely visible ones to the curved edge. The overall condition is otherwise very good.
"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 glass has been treated like a hardstone and carved entirely by the lapidary, which is standard for the group represented by Sale 4, lot 55, and Sale 9, lot 42. (The colour here is rarer than those examples.) Although it is not known to what extent they were made during other periods, bottles carved from solid glass were a feature of imperial production during the mid-Qing period, from the second half of the Qianlong reign into the Daoguang era, and it seems likely this bottle dates from that time.

The lapidary has chosen to set up a mild counterpoint between the exterior form and the interior hollowing, creating an essentially ovoid form on the inside to offset the curving fruit form of the outside. It creates an interesting effect, allowing the lovely, even, olive-green colour to be accentuated in areas that are left unusually thick because of this formal discrepancy.

Here is another bottle upon which ancient scratches appear to have been repolished at some time but remain faintly visible beneath the new surface. In the case of this delightful, transparent glass, the wisdom of performing this kindness is obvious, particularly since it has been achieved without completely removing all traces of the earlier patination.