A BLUE JADEITE SNUFF BOTTLE

superbly well hollowed, of rounded form with a flared neck, the oval foot slightly concave, the stone of pale blue with a hint of gray color and faint snowy white inclusions

Dr. Louis Walmsley Collection.
Vanessa F. Holden.

The bottle is in good condition with tiny nibbles on the exterior mouth. There is a 1/8 inch area on the side that is slightly flatter than the curve of the surface and may have been polished.
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.

Dr. Louis Walmsley, one of the earlier owners of this bottle, was a Canadian missionary stationed in Chengdu during the 1930s until the arrival of the Communists in 1949, when he returned to Canada. Many of his other Chinese works of art can be seen in The Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto.

Blue is a color rarely found on jadeite, and the present bottle is a superb example of this type. One is illustrated in Hugh Moss, Victor Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle: The J & J Collection, New York, 1993, Volume I, p. 121, pl. 59.