清十八 / 十九世紀 褐墨玉相聯鼻煙壺

克拉德收藏，北京，1924年，或濟南府，1926年
倫敦佳士得1974年6月10日，編號140
Hugh M. Moss Ltd.
Mei Ling 收藏
紐約蘇富比1984年3月15日，編號190

Hugh Moss、Victor Graham 及曾嘉寶，《A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection》，卷1，香港，1996年，編號159

There are two minute nibbles to the black surface. The snuff bottle is otherwise in overall very 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."

There are many ways of joining double bottles, but the usual method was to join the narrow sides. Here, the two have been joined at their main sides in an unusual manner.

The form of each is lovely, with a perfectly rounded body offset by a flared neck and matching flared foot. Doubled, the form achieves still greater commanding presence and sculptural sturdiness. The foot is not recessed, having only a simple concavity. This feature also appears on a number of bottles attributable to the court but it was almost certainly not an exclusive court feature.

The material would not be inherently valuable without the rich black ‘skin’ area, which was probably produced by staining, although it is pleasantly and evenly marked with an interesting series of crackled flaws. With its celadon colouring, its resemblance to a piece of Song porcelain might have brought to it a degree of value for the Chinese aesthete, but it is the black skin that would probably have been more highly valued. Black pebble material was treasured in antiquity, resulting in staining to enhance or entirely simulate the natural material centuries before the snuff bottle was invented. It is difficult to tell visually, even with the help of high-powered magnification, when solid black material of this kind is natural, but as a general rule one tends to be suspicious of anything of this opacity and intensity of black that is so even and without variation in colour or tone until it blends into the core colour.

Staining of material became a standard alternative artistic language for the jade carver centuries before the snuff bottle came along, and it should not be considered in a derogatory light. By the Qing dynasty, it was no different from the painter selecting a colour to enhance a monochrome painting and was often used creatively in a similar fashion.