A RARE INSIDE-PAINTED CRYSTAL DOUBLE SNUFF BOTTLE BY MA SHAOXUAN

of double-vase rectangular form, each of square section and with slightly tapered necks, supported on small footrims, painted to the interior in ink and colors, one featuring two gold finches perched on a leafy branch, the other vase painted with an oriole on a flowering branch, each vase with lengthy inscription opposite the painting, one side with an inscription 'Made in the capital city of Beijing', with the cyclical date corresponding to August in the Autumn of the dingyou year, corresponding to 1897, the other side inscribed Ma Shaoxuan, followed by a red seal of the artist

Sotheby's London, 6th June 1988, lot 280.
Quek Kiok Lee.

Patrick K. M. Kwok, 'The Joe Grimberg Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles', Arts of Asia, November-December 1993, p. 97, no. 57.

The bottle is in good condition overall with a negligible nick on one of the footrims. The painting is strong but with expected minor wear. The crystal has some faint inclusions.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

It is rare to find an inside-painted bottle of this double-vessel shape, although one other is known and is illustrated in Bob C. Stevens, The Collector's Book of Snuff Bottles, New York and Tokyo, 1976, no. 863.

The poetic inscriptions can be translated as:

'Incessantly observing the flowers, therefore under the hand spring comes to life.
Lively energy exudes profusely, so much so, the oriole has to come along to be the neighbor.
Of lush green woods with a humble thatch hut, so is the spirit of the flowers and trees,
Such wondrous resemblance in appearance is a genuine description of someone reincarnated with great virtues.'

'So vividly is the depiction that one totally forgets being in a dream-like state,
Delicate contour and light coloring with liveliness transmit an innate spirit.
Varied sorts of illusion as these are up to one's creative imagination,
It is laughable that King Teng has been so much into the matter.'