清十八 / 十九世紀 煤玉鋪首耳鼻煙壺

Robert Hall，倫敦，1984年

Hugh Moss、Victor Graham 及曾嘉寶，《A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection》，卷7，香港，2009年，編號1602

The snuff bottle is in overall good condition with just a tiny nibble to the outer lip, an even smaller nibble to one of the ring handles and a tiny scratch on the side of the foot, running up away from the footrim.
"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."

Jet is a material that appears to have been used mainly for snuff bottles. Only rarely does one find a thumb-ring or other form made of jet. The fact that jet seams were so small (20 – 25 cm thick and less than a metre long; for more on jet, see Pedersen 2004, pp. 39 - 49), of course, restricted the size of works of art that could be carved from a single piece of jet.

The main artistic languages here are material and formal. The lovely black material has been largely left to speak for itself, the only decoration being the ubiquitous mask-and-ring handles on the narrow sides. Form is the other main appeal of the bottle, and in this respect the carver has certainly managed to catch one's attention. The body is almost, but not quite, a perfect compressed sphere, visually stretched horizontally by the addition of the handles. The foot makes the bottle seem lightly poised, perhaps because it is a bit taller than one might expect for its diameter; this might explain why the foot seems narrower than the neck, though it is in fact a millimetre or two greater in diameter. The mask-and-ring handles, curving down the narrow sides, are placed somewhat lower than they might have been, perhaps to balance the upward push of the foot.