清 / 民國 銅刻龍紋鼻煙壺 連水彩紙本畫 《順治三年程榮章造》款

together with a watercolour illustration by Peter Suart

Lilla S. Perry 收藏
Bob C. Stevens 收藏
檀香山蘇富比1981年11月7日，編號202
Hugh M. Moss Ltd，1984年
Robert Hall，倫敦

Bob C. Stevens，《中國の鼻煙壺と皿》，銀座ミキモトホール，東京，1978年，編號341
Robert Kleiner，《Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Collection of Mary and George Bloch》，Sydney L. Moss Ltd，倫敦，1987年，編號244
《Les plus belles collections privées de Hong-Kong》，老佛爺百貨公司，巴黎，1990年
《Kleine Schätze aus China. Snuff bottles—Sammlung von Mary und George Bloch erstmals in Österreich》，Creditanstalt，維也納，1993年，頁4

Lila S. Perry，《Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Adventures and Studies of a Collector》，東京，1960年，頁27，圖7
Bob C. Stevens，《The Collector’s Book of Snuff Bottles》，紐約及東京，1976年，編號808
《Snuff Bottle Review》，1978年2月，頁13
William W. Harris，〈Review of the Bob C. Stevens Exhibition at the Mikimoto’s〉，《國際中國鼻煙壺協會學術期刊》，1978年12月，頁44，編號341
《國際中國鼻煙壺協會學術期刊》，1980年12月，封面
《Art at Auction: The Year at Sotheby’s, 1981-82》，托托瓦蘇富比，1982年，頁357，圖1
《國際中國鼻煙壺協會學術期刊》，1984年春，封底
Laurence Souksi 及 Bertrand de Lavergne，《Tabatières chinoises: Trésors des collections privées françaises》，巴黎，年份不詳，頁4
Emily Byrne Curtis，〈News and Viewpoints. Some Comments on the Bloch Catalogue〉，《國際中國鼻煙壺協會學術期刊》，1989 年春，頁31，圖2
Robert Hall，《Chinese Snuff Bottles III》，倫敦，1990年，編號81
《國際中國鼻煙壺協會學術期刊》，1992年夏，頁30
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1618

Apart from some small surface scratches and abrasions, the overall condition is 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."

Out of fifty-eight metal (bronze or copper) bottles bearing the name Cheng Rongzhang, six are dated to the first year of the Shunzhi era (1644); four to the second year; thirteen to the third year; four to the fourth year; one to the fifth year; seven to the sixth year; two to the seventh year, none to the eighth year; seven to the ninth year, and nine to the tenth year (1653). There are then five for which no information is available about the inscriptions. Obviously, the third year was a popular choice for the Shunzhi Bronze Forger.

During his career he may have selected a year to slap on a bottle entirely at random or, in some cases, as dictated by the dealers who were disseminating the bottles to unwary collectors.

The same style of dragon engraving appears on bottles with both early and late dates, and some of the more sophisticated designs of birds and flowers, figures, or landscapes, which on genuine wares one might expect to follow the earlier, crudely engraved dragons, are dated to various years between the second and the tenth.

Surprisingly, only nine out of the fifty-eight bottles shows any significant signs of wear at all, and of those only two were severely worn to the point of the designs being threatened. The rest were in remarkably crisp condition, with the engraving still relatively sharp. Where there was wear, it is quite possible that the maker faked it, as well as patination, right from the outset. Bronze wears readily in constant use, however, and even as fakes; the ones exhibiting more wear may have fallen into the hands of snuff takers and been used regularly over a long period of time.

What is clearly absent is a sufficient range of wear and patination to suggest that they were used for two hundred and fifty years. As a guide to what well-handled bronze should look like from the seventeenth century, there are a range of small paperweights, many of which are well worn and smoothed through constant handling.

Even if no longer believable as a product of the third year of Shunzhi, this snuff bottle is one of the most famous of all the Cheng Rongzhang bronze bottles, having been owned by both Lilla Perry and Bob C. Stevens and extensively illustrated.