Page 16 - 2020 October 8 Snuff Bottles

13

A QUARTZ ‘MAKARA’ SNUFF BOTTLE 清 1730-1870 年 玉髓摩羯魚形鼻煙壺
QING DYNASTY, 1730-1870 （連瑪瑙葉形鼻煙碟）
The bottle is carved in the form of a mythical beast with the
body of a fish and the head of a single-horned dragon. Together 來源
with a yellow agate leaf-form snuff dish. 壺：Robert Kleiner，倫敦，1992 年
Bottle: 3º in. (8.2 cm.) long, jadeite stopper; 瑪麗及莊智博鼻煙壺珍藏：第九部份，香港蘇富比，2014 年
Dish: 2¡ in. (6 cm.) long (2) 11 月 24 日，拍品 152 號
HK$65,000-80,000 US$8,200-11,000
展覽
PROVENANCE 壺：Robert Kleiner、楊伯達及 Clarence F. Shangraw，《盈寸
Bottle: Robert Kleiner, London, 1992 纖研 ─ 瑪麗及佐治伯樂鼻煙壺珍藏》，香港藝術館，香港，
Snuff Bottles from the Mary & George Bloch Collection: Part IX,
sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 24 November 2014, lot 152 1994 年，編號 238
新加坡國家博物館，新加坡，1994-1995 年
EXHIBITED
Bottle: Robert Kleiner, Boda Yang, and Clarence F. 出版
Shangraw, Chinese Snuff Bottles: A Miniature Art from the 壺：莫士撝、Victor Graham 及曾嘉寶，《A Treasury of
Collection of George and Mary Bloch, Hong Kong Museum of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection》，
Art, Hong Kong, 1994, cat. no. 238
National Museum of Singapore, Singapore, 1994-1995 卷 2，香港，1998 年，編號 245
莫士撝、薩進德，《水松石山房鼻煙壺珍藏：第一部 宮廷風
LITERATURE 趣、技藝在鼻煙壺美術中所起的作用》，香港，2017 年，編
Bottle: Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, A Treasury 號 31.2.973
of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection,
vol. 2, Hong Kong, 1998, no. 245
Hugh Moss and Stuart Sargent, The Water Pine and Stone
Retreat Collection of Snuff Bottles. Part One. Imperial Influence
over the Snuff Bottle Arts, Hong Kong, 2017, no. 31.2.973
The creature here is probably intended as a dragon-carp, the symbol
of a candidate passing the metropolitan examinations and qualifying
as an official. This mythical creature and its symbolism are based upon
observation of Yellow River carp swimming upstream and leaping over
the falls at the ‘Dragon gate’ (Longmen), a particularly arduous task
following a long, upriver journey, hence symbolising the final triumph of
the student. The carp is thought to be transformed into a dragon, while
the student becomes a scholar, qualifying automatically for official
service. As a rule, such dragon-carp would be expected to have two
horns, but such details are flexible in mythical expression and the head
here is sufficiently dragon-like with or without two horns to carry the
required symbolism.
Compare to a bottle in the same material, but in the form of a carp, also
with rather impractical protruding detail and probably from the same
school of carving, sold at Christie’s London, 12 October 1987, lot 356.

13

14