Page 139 - Bonhams asian Art Knightsbridge May 2018

PROPERTY FROM A DISTINGUISHED ASIAN
PRIVATE COLLECTION (LOTS 368-396)

368 *
A FINE WHITE AND BLACK JADE SNUFF BOTTLE
Qing Dynasty
Deftly carved around the exterior with a continuous scene of a scholar
gazing up at the pine trees, beside him a boy-attendant prepares a
jar of wine, all amidst craggy cliffs issuing lingzhi fungi, further along a
tavern with a sign advertising wine, the stone dominated with charcoal
black and cast with white and grey. 5.9cm (2 3/8in) high.
£6,000 - 8,000
CNY53,000 - 71,000
HK$66,000 - 88,000
Provenance
A distinguished Asian private collection

The present lot, in black, grey and white jade is typical of the Suzhou 368
school of carving. For a further example of Suzhou school carving
of a black and white jade snuff bottle, see H.Moss, V.Graham and
K.B.Tsang, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle: The J & J Collection,
Vol.1, Weatherhill, 1993, p.71, no.25. The exquisite carving of a
scholar drinking wine while gazing up at the sky and the moon, implies
that the subject is the famous Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai (李白), one of
whose favourite activities was the drinking of wine. On the reverse of
the snuff bottle is a tavern with the character for wine (jiu 酒) hanging
outside. Further to the right on the cliff is a poetic inscription in cursive
calligraphy that reads: ‘醉月春曉’, which may be translated as ‘The
drunken moon in spring dawn’.

A related black and white jade snuff bottle with a figure of a scholar
drinking under a pine tree, late Qing Dynasty, was sold in our San
Francisco Rooms, 13 December 2010, lot 5046.

369 *
A FINE BLACK JADE ‘LIU HAI’ SNUFF BOTTLE
Qing Dynasty
The bottle of flattened globular form, boldly carved to one side with
Liu Hai stepping forward beside the three-legged toad leaping after
the string of coins, the reverse with a scholar wearing a woven wide-
brimmed hat and long robes, seated atop a mule followed by a young
attendant carrying a branch of prunus, the stone of a dark grey and
black tone. 5.6cm (2 1/8in) high.

£5,000 - 8,000
CNY44,000 - 71,000
HK$55,000 - 88,000

Provenance
A distinguished Asian private collection

A related black jade Suzhou snuff bottle with Liu Hai and three-legged
toad, 1740-1850, is illustrated by H.Franz, Chinese Art from the Hedda
and Lutz Franz Collection, Hong Kong, 2010, pp.10-13, no.1332. A 369
black jade Suzhou snuff bottle with a related carving of the Tang poet
Meng Haoran riding a donkey followed by an attendant, circa 1740-
1850, is illustrated by H.Moss, V.Graham and K.B.Tsang, A Treasury of
Chinese Snuff Bottles, The Mary and George Bloch Collection: Jade,
Hong Kong, 1995, pp.328-329, no.130, and later sold in our Hong
Kong Rooms, 28 May 2010, lot 93.

For details of the char
For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot ges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
ASIAN AR
please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.efer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.
please r ASIAN ART - PART I | 137T - PART I | 137