Page 20 - Christie's Chinese Snuff Bottled the Holden Collection March 24, 2022

806
A RARE PAINTED ENAMEL SNUFF BOTTLE
IMPERIAL, PALACE WORKSHOPS, BEIJING, QIANLONG FOUR-
CHARACTER MARK IN BLUE AND OF THE PERIOD (1736-1795)
Of small, ovoid form and supported on a rectangular foot, the bottle
is finely decorated on one side with a pair of magpies perched on leafy
branches, the reverse with sprays of peonies, convolvulus, narcissus,
chrysanthemum and roses.
17 in. (4.5 cm.) high, painted enamel stopper
$70,000-90,000
PROVENANCE:
Raymond Bushell Collection.
Bob C. Stevens Collection, no. 1028.
The Bob C. Stevens Collection of Fine and Important Chinese Snuff
Bottles, Part II; Sotheby's New York, 26 March 1982, lot 81.
Rachelle R. Holden Collection, New York.
EXHIBITED:
Hong Kong Museum of Art, Chinese Snuff Bottles, 15 October-26
November 1977, cat. no. 242.
LITERATURE:
B. Stevens, The Collector's Book of Snuff Bottles, New York, 1976, no.
1028.
Arts of Asia, January-February 1982, p. 95, no. 22.
R. Holden, Rivers and Mountains Far From the World - The Rachelle R.
Holden Collection, A Personal Commentary, New York, 1994, pp. 88-89,
no. 31.

The word for 'magpie' in Chinese (xique) is a homophone for 'joy'. The
current bottle is decorated with two magpies which can infer double
happiness such as that found in marriage. The branches upon which
the birds are perched appear to be prunus (mei) which flower in late
winter, and whose name is a homophone for “eyebrows.” Together, the
magpie and prunus form a rebus meaning “May you have happiness
up to your eyebrows.” The flowers on the reverse of the bottle are
representative of the four seasons. Combined with the auspicious
wishes for marriage across four seasons, the current bottle would have
been a fitting gift for a wedding or marriage anniversary.

清乾隆 御製銅胎畫琺瑯喜上眉梢圖鼻煙壺 藍彩四字楷書
來源:
Raymond Bushell珍藏
Bob C. Stevens珍藏, 編號1028
Bob C. Stevens珍藏重要中國鼻煙壺 (第二部分), 紐約蘇富比, 1982年3月
26日, 拍品編號81
何瑞秋珍藏, 紐約
展覽:
香港藝術館, 「中國鼻煙壺」, 1977年10月15日至11月26日, 圖錄編號242
出版:
B. Stevens, 《鼻煙壺收藏指南》, 紐約, 1976年, 編號1028
《亞洲藝術》, 1982年1月-2月, 頁 95, 編號22
何瑞秋, 《Rivers and Mountains Far from the World - The Rachelle R.
Holden Collection, A Personal Commentary》, 紐約, 1994年, 頁88-89,
編號31

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