A LAVENDER JADEITE SNUFF BOTTLE

well hollowed, of bulbous form resting on a flat oval base, below a cylindrical neck, the stone of an even pale lilac color with fine white striations

Robert Hall.

Patrick K. M. Kwok, 'The Joe Grimberg Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles', Arts of Asia, November-December 1993, p. 94, no. 20.

The bottle is in very good overall 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.
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.

No records have come to light as yet dating the first import of lavender jadeite into China. Jadeite was known to the Chinese from the late Ming dynasty but did not become a valued material until the last quarter of the Qianlong reign, when it became accepted as a highly valued alternative form of jade. There are one or two blue jadeite examples, which because of their extreme hollowing are very pale in color, and it may be that generally lavender jade lost its distinctive color when finely hollowed, rendering it rather pointless as a combination of technique and material. It is likely that the material became popular, or was first mined, in the first half of the nineteenth century.

For examples of lavender jadeite snuff bottles in private collections, see Robert Kleiner, Treasures from the Sanctum of Enlightened Respect. Chinese Snuff Bottles from the of Collection Denis Low, Hong Kong, 1999, p. 71, no. 58; and another in The Crane Collection, thecranecollection.com, no. 285. One example was sold in these rooms, 23rd March 1999, lot 203; and in our Hong Kong rooms, 5th May 1994, lot 1459.