Page 51 - September 21 2021 Curtis collections snuff bottles Bonhams NYC

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AN UNUSUAL SUZHOU-TYPE CLEAR ROCK CRYSTAL SNUFF For another rock crystal bottle, albeit a smoky crystal, which has been
BOTTLE assigned to the Suzhou School, see Robert Kleiner, Chinese Snuff
Suzhou School, 1800-1900 Bottles, The White Wings Collection, Hong Kong, 1997, pp.171-172,
Of bulbous spade shape with tall cylindrical neck with slightly concave no. 116, where the author notes the paucity of published rock crystal
mouth and with a simply-cut flat oval small base, carved in relief with bottles attributed to the School, citing just one other example (See
a continuous rocky landscape figural scene, one main face with a Robert Kleiner, Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Collection of Mary and
hunched scholar holding a parasol with a bat flying above his head George Bloch, Hong Kong, 1987, no. 152.) and noting that most
amidst clouds whilst a boy attendant proffers a large peach before bottles are carved from chalcedony or jade. Indeed, if our example was
him, the other main face with another robed scholar amongst rocks in chalcedony, a School of Zhiting designation would be applied, and
with a boy attendant stumbling toward him, his face looking upward to probably should be.
a pine tree above, the rockwork with stylized serrated edges following
the Suzhou tradition, the bottle interior is lightly ground to produce a See the footnote to lot 646, in the present sale, for discussion of the
misty backdrop to the scene, whilst the neck is left clear, the stone Suzhou workshops, the designation ‘School of Zhiting’ and stylistic
with a matrix of internal flaws that are cleverly integrated to the various preferences within the workshops.
forms of the rockwork and figures.
2 1/4in (5.6cm) high, stopper Stylistically our bottle can be favorably compared to a large group
of Chalcedony agates with this designation, see Hugh Moss, Victor
$2,500 - 4,000 Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles, The
Mary and George Bloch Collection, Vol. 2, Part 2, Quartz, pp. 510-
545, no’s. 367-378. For further discussion of the School, see Michael
1800-1900年 蘇州作山水人物水晶鼻煙壺 C. Hughes, The Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, Chinese Snuff Bottles,
Baltimore, 2009, pp.124-127, no’s. 96 and 97.
Provenance:
Espace4 Paris, France, Oct 2006

THE EMILY BYRNE CURTIS COLLECTION OF CHINESE SNUFF BOTTLES | 49