Page 7 - Golder Collection Snuff Bottles

Faith was a poet who was moved to write about nature, The
delicate pear-shaped celadon jade bottle (lot 107) carved
with the ‘Three Friends of Winter’, symbolizing strength and
endurance under adversity, is carved with an elegant twenty
character poem, a natural fit for her taste and sensibility. Lot
105, a Ma Shaoxuan inside painted crystal snuff bottle, dated
1898, shows a katydid on a cabbage leaf set off by a cluster of
narcissus, reversed by four poetic verses, another reflection of
her taste and interest.

Sylvan and Faith were an essential part of the fabric of Cincinnati
life. They were well known in Cincinnati society for their
generosity, eventually donating their collection of archaic jade
and other jade pieces to the Cincinnati Art Museum. Over the
years Sylvan and Faith added immeasurably to the culture of the
city’s arts. They were founder members of the Asian Art Society
of Cincinnati at the Art Museum, and were active at the Taft
Museum of Art, where Faith served on the museum board for
over ten years. In 1997, Faith was involved in a show at the Taft
Museum of Art when a selection of their collection of 550 snuff
bottles was exhibited.

Sylvan, along with Faith enjoyed collecting snuff bottles for
many years throughout the 1960’s and 70’s, continuing to
acquire interesting and appealing pieces until Faith passed Sylvan and Faith were also consistently part of the group of
away in January 2015. Along with her interest in gemstones collectors which met annually in Cape Cod, MA for the Asian
and minerals, inspired by her father’s work as a jeweler and her auctions held every summer at Eldred’s Auction House. In 1998,
brother’s career as a gemologist Faith also was drawn to amber they purchased lot 138, a fine mid-19th century enameled Yixing
bottles. Three early purchases, Lots 144, 145 and 177 show the snuff bottle, of flattened ovoid form, decorated with a plum tree by
couples interest in the intricate patterns found in the material a butterfly against a blue enamel background
itself. This interest in the brilliance, color and design is reflected (estimate $5000 – 7000).
in the glass bottle. In this auction (lots 109-111, 132-135, 141,
143, 151-155, 171, 190-195 and 213). There is a strong showing of porcelain bottles in this collection, with
a good number of them decorated in underglaze cobalt blue, both
Faith and Sylvan enjoyed attending the annual conventions of on soft and hard paste porcelain (lots 116-119, 182 – 185).
the International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society (ICSBS) when
Sylvan’s work permitted it, with their first convention being in Bonhams is proud to offer part two of Dr. Sylvan and Faith Golder’s
Kansas City in 1976. Amongst other hobbies, Sylvan and Faith collection of fine Chinese snuff bottles, with the knowledge that
loved to dance and were thrilled to show off their tango at the both Sylvan and Faith would have been delighted to share their
final night banquets at the conventions! As with many collectors collection with other aficionados.
at the ICSBS annual conventions, they made many close
lifelong friends with whom they could share the excitement of a CLARE CHU
new purchase.

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