AN INSIDE-PAINTED GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE BY MA SHAOXUAN

of flattened rectangular shape sloping to a cylindrical neck, resting on a neatly carved oval foot, painted to the inside with ink and colors, one face depicting three rams resting on a hill, beneath a tree bearing small floral buds and among sprays of aster picked out in blue and yellow, with the sun peeking between the branches, the reverse inscribed with calligraphy in four styles, signed Ma Shaoxuan, red seal shaoxuan

Larry and Mucci Taylor.
Christie's Hong Kong, 2nd May 1995, lot 1508.
Hugh Moss (HK) Ltd.

JICSBS, Summer 1995, p. 27.
Susan Munro, 'Christie's Hong Kong Spring 1995 Sales', Arts of Asia, September-October 1995, p. 121.

In overall good condition, with a tiny chip on the inner rim of the mouth, one edge of the outer rim appears to have been polished down.
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.

When three rams are depicted together with the sun, they represent a new beginning and chances for prosperity.

It is rare to find a bottle by Ma Shaoxuan featuring four calligraphic styles. Only one other known is in The Collection of George and Mary Bloch, illustrated in Ma Zengshan, Inside-Painted Snuff Bottle Artist Ma Shaoxuan 1867-1939: A Biography and Study, Hong Kong, 1997, p. 81, fig. 81.

The inscriptions can be translated as:

[Right]
'For my brotherly friend Master Shantang's graceful art edification
In the pot is the wine, in the thatch hut, watching the rain.
Sitting around are gracious literati, on both sides the elegant bamboos.'

[Upper left]
'A sudden appearance of the moon at the mountain site reminds one of deep autumn,
What enters one's heart and soul is the cool air permeating about the river.'

]Middle left]
'Great wealth and fortune as well as longevity.'

[Bottom]
'Guess it ought to be the tour to the imperial garden in the spring that
Even now the tip of the brush still smells the fragrance of ink blossoms.'