AN INSCRIBED ENAMELLED PORCELAIN 'WINE FLASK' SNUFF BOTTLE QING DYNASTY, 19TH CENTURY

Collection of Jana Volf, New York, 1998.
Hugh Moss (HK) Ltd., 1998.

Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection, vol. 6, Hong Kong, 2007, no. 1406.

Stopper illustrated in book replaced by glass equivalent. Small chip on footrim. Otherwise, good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Zhe Shao wine is made in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province, and is commonly drunk heated to accompany meals, often with a dried plum added—which may not do a lot for the wine but does wonders for the plum, which is eaten at the end of the meal once it has soaked up a good deal of wine, though not normally as much as the person eating it.

From the little enamelling and from the shape, this may be datable to as early as the Daoguang period, but the porcelain paste exposed at the foot could indicate a later date.

There is a rather impressive formal variation here: The lower body has a convex curve, but the moment the form rounds the shoulders and tapers towards the neck, it is reversed and becomes a concave curve. It is a simple device, but makes the form considerably more dynamic and intriguing.