Page 202 - Bonhams May 11th 2017 London Fine Chinese Art

292 * This unusual bottle is decorated with simulated rivets used to repair
cracked porcelain wares. In addition, the nine rivets depicted on the
A BROWN OVERLAY WHITE GLASS ‘RIVETS’ SNUFF BOTTLE bottle may underscore a pun wishing for a long line of sons. The
19th century number nine in China is also symbolic of infinity, partly because it was
The bottle of compressed globular form rising to a tall cylindrical neck, the product of three times three, the most basic unit of three being
carved in shallow relief on the milk-white ground and shaded in brown Heaven, Earth and Man, and partly because the word for nine is
overlay with small segments simulating rivet repairs on porcelain, the homophone with the word for eternity.
sides with mask-and-ring handles, jadeite stopper.
5.6cm (2 3/8in) high (2).

£3,000 - 5,000 According to Schuyler Cammann, the nine rivets depicted on the
CNY26,000 - 43,000 bottle may also represent the ceremonial Nine Tripods owned by the
legendary Emperor Yu, underscoring the Qing dynasty’s wish to restore
十九世紀 白地套褐料仿補釘鼻煙壺 the glorious culture of the past.

Provenance: Bob C.Stevens A related brown overlay white glass bottle, 1760-1860, decorated with
Sotheby’s London, 24 April 1989, lot 23 nine rivets, is illustrated by H.Moss in The Art of the Chinese Snuff
An Asian private collection of snuff bottles Bottle, Vol.2, New York, 1993, p.637, pl.388.

Published and Exhibited: Mikimoto Hall, Tokyo, October 1978,
Catalogue no.56

來源： Bob Stevens先生舊藏
1989年4月24日於倫敦蘇富比拍賣，拍品23號
亞洲私人藏鼻煙壺珍品

展覽及出版： 1978年10月於東京Mikimoto Hall展出，圖錄編號23

19 6 | BONHAMS For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.