Page 20 - Bonhams Chinese Scholar's Art March 2014
P. 20
8022 8023
8024 8022 8023
18 | Bonhams Two unusual gilt metal snuff bottles An incised white nephrite snuff bottle
1720-1880 1750-1800
Of a similar style, the first shaped as a court fan, Of flattened globular form with a concave lip
each face adorned by gilding with figures in a and straight neck, with a flat foot surrounded
landscape, the edge with a marbled pattern; by an oval foot rim, carved with raised circular
the second bottle of upright rectangular form, panels on each main side, the front with a
one face with a gilt landscape, the other with a spray of prunus, reversed by a ten-character
twelve-character inscription. inscription in clerical script followed by two
1 1/4in (3.2cm); 1 1/2in (3.8cm) high intaglio seals, the narrow sides with raised,
$1,000 - 1,500 scalloped, rounded rectangular panels.
2in (5cm) high
A metal bottle of a more typical shape, but with $6,000 - 9,000
similar gilt decoration and marbleized pattern
is illustrated in Hughes, The Chester Beatty The inscription reads 勞飛過竹暗 牛飯就
Library, Dublin: Chinese Snuff Bottles, Baltimore, 松凉 followed by the seals 雲 and 宁. The
2009, no. 259. Here the author offers a detailed inscription is excerpted from a poem by the
explanation of the metalworking process with 17th century poet Wang Bangji 王邦畿, from
possible influences from Japan. Panyu Guangdong.
8024
A fossiliferous limestone snuff bottle
19th century
Of flattened ovoid form with a concave oval
foot and a slightly concave mouth, the body
displaying a dynamic pattern of white dashes on
a black ground.
2in (5cm) high
$1,200 - 1,800
