Page 360 - Chinese Works of Art Chritie's Mar. 22-23 2018

PROPERTY FROM THE ANNA-MARIA AND STEPHEN KELLEN FOUNDATION, NEW YORK
1013
A WHITE JADE MELON-FORM SNUFF BOTTLE
1730-1800
The lobed, oval melon is fnely carved around the sides with a leafy vine which
begins beside the small opening in the top and with two butterfies. The fnely
polished stone is an even white color.
2¿ in. (5.4 cm.) high, glass stopper
$6,000-8,000

Fruit and vegetable-form snuf bottles were a staple at court, produced
particularly in jade. The present example is carved with the vines
and leaves gently enveloping the fruit, and perfectly conceived to ft
comfortably in the hand.
The gourd symbolizes fertility, because of the many fruit that grow from a
single vine, while the butterfy, seen on one of the narrow sides, is a symbol
of longevity, based upon a pun on its pronunciation, which sounds the same
as the character for the ages of seventy or eighty.

Another example of a melon-form jade bottle of the same design, was sold
at Christie’s New York, The Ruth and Carl Barron Collection of Fine Chinese
Snuf Bottles: Part I, 16 September 2015, lot 242.
1730年-1800年 白玉瓜瓞綿綿鼻煙壺

1013
PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE NEW ENGLAND COLLECTION
1014
A WHITE JADE SNUFF BOTTLE
1740-1840
The snuf bottle is carved as a sack tied at the neck with a ribbon, with
a monkey clambering to one side of the neck while clutching a slender
leafy branch.
2¡ in. (6 cm.) high, hardstone stopper

$4,000-6,000

PROVENANCE
Dr. S. Marsh Tenney (1922-2000), acquired prior to 1949 and thence by
descent to the present owner.
A related white-jade sack-form snuf bottle carved with two monkeys is in the
J&J Collection and illustrated by Moss, Graham, Tsang in The Art of the Chinese
Snuf Bottle, The J&J Collection, vol. I, New York, 1993, pp. 56-57, no. 16.

Dr. S. Marsh Tenney (1922-2000) was an accomplished physician, research
scientist and educator who reorganized and revitalized Dartmouth Medical
School. His fascination with China began in his youth, as his mother owned a
collection of “treasures from the Orient” that his grandfather, Stephen Marsh,
Iowa’s state attorney, received when he defended pro bono Chinese immigrants,
who at the time faced discrimination and harassment. At Dartmouth Dr. Tenney
furthered his interest and was the only student in the Introductory Chinese class.
When it came time to fulfll his military obligations, Dr. Tenney was posted to
China and served as the chief medical oficer for the Navy from 1947-1949.
Joined in Shanghai by his young wife Carolyn, who worked as a nurse in a clinic,
Dr. Tenney continued to study Chinese, as well as calligraphy.
A selection of paintings from this collection will be ofered in our Fine
Chinese Paintings sale on 20 March 2018, lots 62-65.
1014 清十八/十九世紀 白玉包袱式鼻煙壺

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