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8Y                                                                      Wang Bingrong, active during the Daoguang and Xianfeng periods,
A CARVED YELLOW-GLAZED ‘DRAGON’ SNUFF BOTTLE                            was one of the finest of a small group of independent ceramicists in
Wang Bingrong seal mark, circa 1820-1870                                Jingdezhen of the period. At that time, the porcelain industry initiated
Of flattened rectangular form above an oval foot rising to a short      carving on snuff bottles as a diversification from using earlier practices
straight neck, one side decorated with a large scaly dragon in          of moulding. The uniformity and depth of the reticulation between the
mid-flight pursuing a flaming pearl, worked in high relief above a      outer and inner layers, as exemplified by the present lot, can only be
pierced ground of fiery clouds, the base incised with a four-character  achieved by careful and steady carving. Dragons were among Wang’s
zhuanshu mark, with stopper.                                            most popular designs, although this particular composition is arguably
6.1cm (2 3/8in) high (2).                                               among his rarer works. Compare a related yellow-glazed snuff bottle,
                                                                        illustrated by H.Moss, V.Graham and K.B.Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese
HK$40,000 - 60,000                                                      Snuff Bottles. The Mary and George Bloch Collection. Vol.6 Part 3.
US$5,200 - 7,700                                                        Arts of the Fire, Hong Kong, 2008, pp.771-773, no.1357. For two
                                                                        further ‘dragon’ snuff bottle examples, in yellowish-cream glaze and
約1820-1870年 王炳榮 瓷胎黃釉鏤雕雲龍戲珠鼻煙壺                                           in green-glaze, respectively, see B.C.Stevens, The Collector’s Book
「王炳榮作」篆書款                                                               of Snuff Bottles, New York, 1994, p.93, nos.263 and 265. Compare
                                                                        a dark brown-glazed snuff bottle, also by Wang Bingrong and with a
Provenance 來源:                                                          seal mark, sold in our New York rooms, 17 March 2014, lot 8031.
According to the family, acquired by Hans Goldstein probably between
1948-1981 and thence by descent                                         王炳榮是景德鎮瓷雕名家，活躍於清道光、咸豐年間，其作品以浮
                                                                        雕及鏤雕為主，所雕之紋飾有雲龍、山水人物、花鳥等。本壺以鏤
據說此拍品由Hans Goldstein或於1948-1981年間購得，並由家族繼                               雕工藝製成，線條流暢、龍紋圖案生動活潑、可見刀法之精準和細
承                                                                       微，為難得的精品。其他相關例子包括一件黃釉鏤雕雲龍紋鼻煙壺，
                                                                        見H.Moss、V.Graham和K.B.Tsang著，《A Treasury of Chinese Snuff
                                                                        Bottles. The Mary and George Bloch Collection. Vol.6 Part 3. Arts of the
                                                                        Fire》，香港，2008年，頁771至773，編號1357；再參考二例著錄於
                                                                        B.C.Stevens，《The Collector’s Book of Snuff Bottles》，紐約，1994
                                                                        年，頁93，編號263和265。另見一例售於紐約邦瀚斯，2014年3月
                                                                        17日，拍品8031。

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